{"product_id":"symbols-an-evolutionary-history-from-the-stone-age-to-the-future-9783031268083","title":"Symbols: An Evolutionary History from the Stone Age to the Future","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eFor thousands of years, people have used visual cues to convey information, such as written language and non-linguistic symbol systems like mathematical symbology and traffic signs. This book is the first comprehensive study of these systems, tracing their history from the Paleolithic era to the present and exploring over 25 non-linguistic systems. It also presents a novel neurologically-inspired hypothesis that writing evolved in an institutional context, driving an association between symbols and sounds. The book discusses common misconceptions about writing and non-linguistic systems and how they relate to claims about statistical evidence for writing. The intended audience includes students, researchers, professionals, and general readers interested in language, writing systems, and symbol systems. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 235 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 24 April 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: Springer International Publishing AG\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor countless generations, humans have employed visible markings to convey information. Contemporary instances of conventional graphical symbols encompass written language and non-linguistic symbol systems, such as mathematical symbology or traffic signs. The latter types of symbols communicate information independently of language. This book offers the first comprehensive examination of graphical symbol systems, encompassing a historical overview of graphical symbols from the Paleolithic era onwards, a classification of non-linguistic systems, and a survey of over 25 such systems. A notable characteristic of numerous non-linguistic systems is their ability, akin to written language, to amalgamate symbols into intricate \"messages\" when the information they represent is itself intricate. To exemplify, the author presents a detailed comparison of two systems that fulfilled similar roles but exhibited distinct structures: European heraldry and Japanese kamon. Writing initially emerged in Mesopotamia approximately 5,000 years ago, and it is believed to have developed from an earlier non-linguistic accounting system. The precise mechanism underlying its evolution remains unknown, but a pivotal breakthrough was the realization that symbols can represent the sounds of words, in addition to their meanings. The book presents a novel neurologically-inspired hypothesis that writing emerged within an institutional setting where symbols were \"dictated,\" fostering an association between symbols and sounds, and offering computational simulations to substantiate this hypothesis. The author further delves into some prevalent misconceptions about writing and non-linguistic systems, elucidating how these relate to widely referenced claims regarding statistical \"evidence\" supporting one system over another as writing. The book concludes with some contemplations regarding the future of graphical symbol systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 528g\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 162 x 242 x 21 (mm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9783031268083\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEdition number\u003c\/strong\u003e: 1st ed. 2023\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Richard Sproat","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":44526021378298,"sku":"9783031268083","price":33.31,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1692378786511_book.jpg?v=1693392796","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/symbols-an-evolutionary-history-from-the-stone-age-to-the-future-9783031268083","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}