Author is particularly concerned with ancient Near East and contemporary West Africa.

Essays on the complex relationship between oral and literate modes of communication.

The importance of records in modern society is explored by re-examining some of the historical antecedents for critical functions in the modern records professions. The motivation for writing this book comes from a conviction of the importance of records and records professionals in organizations and society, as well as the need to possess a stronger sense of the events, trends, people, debates, and controversies producing the modern records professions. Archivists and records managers have tended to discount the importance of their historical antecedents, ignoring the fact that many of the current debates and issues before the profession are not new but embedded in the historical evolution of the records professions. Re-examining some of the historical origins helps records professionals to re-examine their mission to manage records for the benefit of organizations and of all of society. Such re-evaluation also helps to remind records professionals and others that the concerns generated by new electronic recordkeeping technologies are not new at all but built deep within the fabric of traditional records creation and administration.

'Anyone interested in the relationship between disciplines--and today this means everyone--should read this collection, which is itself a model of interdisciplinarity.' -Stanley Fish, Duke University

Drawing on contemporary and historical examples, from clay tablets to touchscreen displays, this book is a general account of the place of writing in society. It explores the functions of writing and written language, analysing its consequences for language, society, economy and politics.

The Politics of the Texbook analyzes the factors that shape production, distribution and reception of school texts through original essays which emphasize the double-edged quality of textbooks. Textbooks are viewed as systems of moral regulation in the struggle of powerful groups to build political and cultural accord. They are also regarded as the site of popular resistance around discloding the interest underlying schoolknowledge and incorporating alternative traditions.