Worlds of Reference Learning and Language from the Clay Tablet to the Computer by Mcarthur Tom (4 results)

1988, ix, 230pp. Paperback. In good condition. Worlds of Reference is a history of dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference materials, but it is also far more than that, because it is concerned with the growth of civilisation, education and culture - and particularly how the human race learned to store information beyond the brain. It looks at how our species moved from being able to communicate only orally and to store information only in the head (rote memorisation) to the evolution of technologies for external reference clay- and cunieform, reed-and-hieroglyph, bamboo-and-ideogram, parchment-and-alphabet, codices, books, pages, columns and so forth through the print revolution to the current electronic revolution. Along the way it looks at how this has affected languages like Latin, french, and English and people's attitudes to those languages - and to words and the listing of information about words. This intensely human subject is as compelling and important today as any account of kings, queens, wars and social upheaval.

Couverture souple. Condition: Très bon. 230 p. Ill.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. F in VG d/j. First edition. A fascinating examination of how and why reference works developed. Apart from a small scratch on the F board the book is virtually as new throughout. The d/j (not price clipped) has slight creasing at the extremities but is o/w bright and clean.

First edition, review copy, with publisher's slip laid in; 8vo, pp. ix, [1], 230; illustrations throughout; fine copy in a fine dust jacket.