Anyone who has ever reveled in drawing with Magic Markers or has cherished a particular pen should enjoy this quick and upbeat introduction to the history of written text by Ganeri (Bizarre Beasts, p. 1532, etc.). Spreads incorporate full-color photographs, drawings, and hieroglyphs with concise stand-alone paragraphs on specific subjects. Readers learn how language was first set down in ancient Sumeria about 5,500 years ago to keep track of financial accounts, of Egypt's reverence for court scribes (who could be summarily jailed for typographical errors), and of the giant technological step forward with Gutenberg's creation of movable type. Briskly but without oversimplification, Ganeri covers alphabets, the rise of newspapers, and the development of writing technology, from quills to fountain pens to IBM's first word processor in 1964. A parade of unusual details and inventions-- e.g., Edison's electric pen--keeps the work amusing and accessible. In the Signs of the Times series, this is an engaging look at a revolutionary process that continues to unfold. (chronology, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)
