From Talking Drums to the Internet - by Robert Gardner & Dennis Shortelle & Dennis Shortelle (Hardcover)

About the Book

In From Talking Drums to the Internet, readers will learn about sign language, cave paintings, motion pictures, e-mail, cell phones, electronic publishing, satellites, telepathy, the information Superhighway, microelectronics, and videos. They also learn about inventors and other key people who contributed to communications development. This work is a unique and timely addition for every library.

Book Synopsis

In From Talking Drums to the Internet, readers will learn about sign language, cave paintings, motion pictures, e-mail, cell phones, electronic publishing, satellites, telepathy, the information Superhighway, microelectronics, and videos. They also learn about inventors and other key people who contributed to communications development. This work is a unique and timely addition for every library.

From the Back Cover

From Talking Drums to the Internet is the story of the human quest to communicate more effectively. It reaches far back into prehistory to explore cave paintings, hieroglyphics, and smoke signals - all technological giant steps in their day. But the volume focuses primarily on the twentieth century, when the pace of innovation became an explosion and we progressed from listening to radio early in the century to watching color television at the halfway point to attempting communication with extraterrestrials at the approach of the second millennium. From Talking Drums to the Internet helps the reader make sense of this dizzying profusion of breakthroughs and their impact. More than 210 alphabetically arranged entries clearly explain the workings of each technology and its applications. They also explain the enormous social implications of important technologies, such as the printing press, radio, and television, which have already changed forever the nature and quality of life for billions of people around the world. This comprehensive volume not only brings readers up to date on the current developments in communications technology and their effects; it also helps them understand the roots of controversies, trace the course of important technological advances, and make the acquaintance of those individuals who have played particularly important roles. Its extensive illustrations, lists of references, and painstaking cross-references make it an important and timely addition to every library collection.

Review Quotes

"More than a simple chronicle, this volume may help readers understand the roots of controversies surrounding technological advancements in communications, from the introduction of the printing press to Internet censorship. A unique and timely addition for most libraries." --Library Journal

"This fine reference book covers communications topics throughout history ... Numerous cross-references add to the usefulness of this convenient, one volume source, which will be utilized for assignments in science, history, computer, and communications. Recommended." --The Book Report

About the Author

Robert Gardner is a consultant on science education and has written numerous books and articles.

Dennis Shortelle is a professional historian and chair of the Department of History at Salisbury School, Salisbury, CT.