Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-213) and index.
Contents
I. Origin and development of writing -- What is writing and who needs it? -- Idea transmission -- Language and writing -- The process of writing -- II. The main groups: Their characteristics, history and development -- Writing in the fertile crescent -- Ancient Mediterranean scripts -- Pre-Columbian American scripts -- Writing in the Far East -- Semitic scripts -- Indian and Southeast Asian scripts -- The Greek cycle and the European situation -- Invented scripts -- III. Decipherment -- The scholars and their work -- Undeciphered scripts -- IV. Social attitudes to writing and literacy -- The position of the scribe in society -- Writing and aesthetics -- Politics, religion and writing -- Writing for special groups -- V. Moves towards the future -- Mechanization and printing -- Industrialization and new technology.
