Bibliograph

The writing revolution, cuneiform to the Internet, Amalia E. Gnanadesikan

Type

Label

The writing revolution, cuneiform to the Internet, Amalia E. Gnanadesikan

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-296) and index

Illustrations

illustrationsplatesmaps

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The writing revolution

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

217263635

Responsibility statement

Amalia E. Gnanadesikan

Review

"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 describe 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 fascinating insight into the history of one of the world's greatest inventions"--Jacket

Series statement

The language library

Sub title

cuneiform to the Internet

Table Of Contents

The first IT revolution -- Cuneiform : forgotten legacy of a forgotten people -- Egyptian hieroglyphs and the quest for eternity -- Chinese : a love of paperwork -- Maya glyphs : calendars of kings -- Linear B : the clerks of Agamemnon -- Japanese : three scripts are better than one -- Cherokee: Sequoyah reverse-engineers -- The Semitic alphabet : Egypt to Manchuria in 3,400 years -- The empire of Sanskrit -- King Sejong's one-man renaissance -- Greek serendipity -- The age of Latin -- The alphabet meets the machine

Classification