Palimpsest, Matthew Battles
Palimpsest, Matthew Battles
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Palimpsest
A History of the Written Word

Author: Matthew Battles

Narrator: Matthew Battles

Unabridged: 6 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/18/2015

Synopsis

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.

About Matthew Battles

Matthew Battles is the author of Library: An Unquiet History and a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He has written about the cultural dimensions of science and technology for such venues as the Atlantic, the Boston Globe, Harper's Magazine, and the Wilson Quarterly.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kara

Oh boy, I should have checked out the Goodreads rating and reviews before buying this one. But I couldn’t resist! It was on sale at Chapters, and a whole book that seems to be about the history of writing? Sure, I flipped through the first few pages and detected a slightly pretentious tone—but I jus......more

Goodreads review by Hilary "Fox"

What to say about Palimpsest? I was deeply interested in this book when I saw it was on order at the local library. A book on the history of writing? That sounds grand. I thought it would be along the lines of an actual.... history of writing. Something that delved into why our minds are organized t......more

Goodreads review by Kathy

I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. I was really excited to read this and even took it with me on my 3-week trip to China. I had no idea what I was in for...I do not want to sugarcoat my review--here goes: This is the dullest book I have ever read. I have to admit that I valiantly read mo......more

Goodreads review by Fredrik

A fun meditation on the written word and what it does, set down in prose that’s engaging so long as you give writers a lot of leash to stylize as they see fit. The Goodreads reviews are savage, but this is to be expected - Goodreads reviewers hate flowery prose, and the subtitle does indeed overprom......more

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