
Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet
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Narrated by:
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John McWhorter
The ubiquity of the written word in our everyday lives can make it easy to forget how recent the development of writing and literacy are in the span of human history. But writing is, in fact, a very recent phenomenon if we take a step back and look at the big picture of human development. Even if we simply limit our view to the existence of language, writing still occupies a small segment of time. Writing in its earliest forms, particularly, is very different than what we are familiar with today.
So, when—and where—did writing first emerge? Why did early humans find it necessary to record their thoughts in a visual medium? How did cultures that had relied solely on spoken language for thousands of years create symbols that could carry meaning? And how did all the many scripts and systems that developed over the centuries lead us to the 26-letter alphabet of the English language?
Embark on a journey to the very beginning of writing as a tool of language and see how the many threads of history and linguistics came together to create the alphabet that forms the foundation of English writing. Your guide is Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University and in the 16 lectures of Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet, he will help you navigate the complex linguistic and cultural history behind one of our most crucial tools of communication. With his trademark humor and conversational style, Professor McWhorter makes this larger-than-life history as entertaining as it is enlightening.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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I think his long tenure as a lecturer has given him the confidence to relax more, and present the story in a more creative and interesting way. He is frequently funny and his analogies are amusing and useful!
I'm so thankful that he strongly resists presenting "lists of facts". When my daughter was in elementary school, she signed up for the 'frogs and amphibians club', but instead of learning about them, the children were simply memorizing their sounds and being tested on matching the sounds to the right amphibian. That's not learning, that's merely rote memorization and while it might appeal to a certain demographic, it wasn't enhancing her understanding of anything useful, so we stopped going.
So anyway, avoiding lists... Professor McWhorter "gets" what is true understanding and provides exactly that. He goes into significant details on how and why things happened... and with a lot of humor, so you'll want to keep listening!
I also like how he makes fun of the BCE-crowd and freely uses that and BC/AD. Once again, he has the confidence to be relaxed about this stuff and focus on what's important instead.
Unexpectedly interesting and engaging!
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Very enjoyable!
Educational and Witty
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Much less interesting than the rest of his stuff
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One of the best!
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Love these courses
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Perhaps best narration I have heard!
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Highly entertaining, funny and informative
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Smart, Funny, Quirky
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A gift for McWhorter fans
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Fun little series
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