"This book is a study of the evolution of writing systems. It describes the role the phonetic alphabet has played in the development of Western Civilization, in contrast with the role of pictographic writing systems in China and elsewhere. Because the alphabet is so much a part of our information environment, we often take its existence for granted and are blind to its effects. Drawing a variety of conclusions about how societies advance, the author shows how the advent of mass communication and the use of computers effect how we communicate."--Jacket.