A History of Communication Technology

Description

This book is a comprehensive illustrated account of the technologies and inventions in mass communication that have accelerated the advancement of human culture and society. A History of Communication Technology covers a timeline in the history of mass communication that begins with human prehistory and extends all the way to the current digital age. Using rich, full-color graphics and diagrams, the book details the workings of various mass communication inventions, from paper-making, printing presses, photography, radio, TV, film, and video, to computers, digital devices, and the Internet. Readers are given insightful narratives on the social impact of these technologies, brief historical accounts of the inventors, and sidebars on the related technologies that enabled these inventions. This book is ideal for students in introductory mass communication, visual communication, and history of media courses, offering a highly approachable, graphic-oriented approach to the history of communication technologies. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Acknowledgments Table of Contents Introduction Overview Prehistory to Early History The first civilizations Writing Archaic writing systems Modern writing systems Media Writing’s social impact Paper The spread of paper Paper making Pulp machines The paper industry Books Paper’s impact on the world Printing Printing predecessors Woodblock printing Intaglio First moveable type Gutenberg’s press Typography Printing’s impact The Industrial Revolution and the Modern Era Key developments Steam power Electricity Metallurgy Plastics and synthetics Science in the modern world Industrialization and society Industrial Printing Paper machines Printing presses Typesetting Modern printing Lithography Color printing Societal change Photography and Film Photo history Printing photos Moving pictures Color film The impact of photos and film Electronic Communication Electronic components Electronic devices The age of electronic communication The Digital Age Computers Digital data The Internet The digital transformation Conclusion Index Bibliography and sources