Palimpsest

[Dave Monroe]

Palimpsest
A HISTORY OF THE WRITTEN WORD
Matthew Battles (Author)


A profound, eloquent meditation on the history of writing, from
Mesopotamia to multimedia.

Why does writing exist? What does it mean to those who write? Born
from the interplay of natural and cultural history, the seemingly
magical act of writing has continually expanded our consciousness.
Portrayed in mythology as either a gift from heroes or a curse from
the gods, it has been used as both an instrument of power and a
channel of the divine; a means of social bonding and of individual
self-definition. Now, as the revolution once wrought by the printed
word gives way to the digital age, many fear that the art of writing,
and the nuanced thinking nurtured by writing, are under threat. But
writing itself, despite striving for permanence, is always in the
midst of growth and transfiguration.

Celebrating the impulse to record, invent, and make one's mark,
Matthew Battles reenchants the written word for all those susceptible
to the power and beauty of writing in all of its forms.

http://books.wwnorton.com/books/palimpsest/

>From Tapestries to Texting Bubbles

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2015/08/palimpsest_a_history_of_the_written_world_by_matthew_battles_reviewed.single.html
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