In a world of rapid technological advancements, it can be easy to forget that writing is the <i>original</i> Information Technology, created to transcend the limitations of human memory and to defy time and space. <i>The Writing Revolution</i> picks apart the development of this communication tool to show how it has conquered the world.<ul><li>Explores how writing has liberated the world, making possible everything from complex bureaucracy, literature, and science, to instruction manuals and love letters<li>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<li>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<li>Traces the origins of each of the world's major written traditions, along with their applications, adaptations, and cultural influences</ul>