The Writing Revolution: Cuneiform to the Internet (The Language Library) - Softcover

Gnanadesikan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1405154071 ISBN 13: 9781405154079

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2008

Synopsis

In a world of rapid technological advancements, it can be easy to forget that writing is the original Information Technology, created to transcend the limitations of human memory and to defy time and space. The Writing Revolution picks apart the development of this communication tool to show how it has conquered the world.

• Explores how writing has liberated the world, making possible everything from complex bureaucracy, literature, and science, to instruction manuals and love letters
• Draws on an engaging range of examples, from the first cuneiform clay tablet, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Japanese syllabaries, to the printing press and the text messaging
• Weaves together ideas from a number of fields, including history, cultural studies and archaeology, as well as linguistics and literature, to create an interdisciplinary volume
• Traces the origins of each of the world’s major written traditions, along with their applications, adaptations, and cultural influences

About this title

About the Author

AMALIA E. GNANADESIKAN teaches writing at Holy Family University, USA and has taught linguistics at West Chester and Rutgers universities. Her theoretical publications include works in phonology and language acquisition. Her column on language, "Postcards from Babel", appears in The Vocabula Review.

From the Back Cover

THE WRITING REVOLUTION

In a world of rapid technological advancement, it is easy to forget that writing is the original Information Technology, created to transcend the limitations of human memory and to defy time and space. The Writing Revolution describes how this communication tool has conquered the world, making possible everything from complex bureaucracy, literature, and science, to instruction manuals and love letters.

The author deftly describes each of the world's major written traditions, tracing its origins, the way it captures the language(s) for which it is used, its applications and adaptations, and its cultural impact. From the first cuneiform clay tablet to the World Wide Web by way of Egyptian hieroglyphs, Japanese syllabaries, and the printing press, among others this book offers a fascinating insight into the history of one of the world's greatest inventions.

From the Inside Flap

THE WRITING REVOLUTION

In a world of rapid technological advancement, it is easy to forget that writing is the original Information Technology, created to transcend the limitations of human memory and to defy time and space. The Writing Revolution describes how this communication tool has conquered the world, making possible everything from complex bureaucracy, literature, and science, to instruction manuals and love letters.

The author deftly describes each of the world's major written traditions, tracing its origins, the way it captures the language(s) for which it is used, its applications and adaptations, and its cultural impact. From the first cuneiform clay tablet to the World Wide Web – by way of Egyptian hieroglyphs, Japanese syllabaries, and the printing press, among others – this book offers a fascinating insight into the history of one of the world's greatest inventions.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1405154071
• ISBN 13: 9781405154079
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336