This coursebook examines the material history of human communication, allowing students and teachers to examine how communication's production, form, materiality, and reception are crucial to our interpretations of culture, history, and society.

Elaine Treharne is Roberta Bowman Denning Professor of Humanities and Professor of English (and, by courtesy, of German Studies) at Stanford University, as well as Director of Stanford's Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis.Claude Willan is Director of the Digital Research Commons at the University of Houston Libraries.

"A lucid and stimulating introduction to the history of text technologies, ranging from cave paintings, clay tablets, and Japanese tsunami memorials to films, mp3s, and iPads. Packed with thought-provoking examples and discussion, this book will engage a wide range of students, encouraging them to explore how the complex interplay between creativity, communication, and technology shapes global cultures."