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Published 26 October 2009
ISBN 9781921520945
Format Trade Paperback
Extent 248pp
AU Price $29.99
NZ Price $37.00

Shrinking the World

The 4,000 Year Story of How Email Came to Rule Our Lives



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The first email was sent less than forty years ago; by 2011 there will be 3.2 billion users.
The flood of messages is ceaseless. As the toll of email mounts, reducing our time for leisure and contemplation, and separating us from each other in the lonely battle with the inbox, Freeman enters a plea for communication that is more selective and nuanced and, above all, more sociable.
Drawing on the research of linguists, scientists, critics and philosophers, Freeman's history of correspondence reveals how changing methods of communication have eroded the great distances between us. He shows how the telegram, newspapers, synchronised time and railway networks have changed everything from the nature of military intelligence to the messages we write to loved ones.
From carrier pigeon to computer mouse, this fascinating and engaging history of how we communicate will make you view your inbox in a whole new light.

Published 26 October 2009
ISBN 9781921520945
Format Trade Paperback
Extent 248pp
AU Price $29.99
NZ Price $37.00

About the author

John Freeman

John Freeman is an award-winning writer and book critic who has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times Book Review, Los Angeles Times, Guardian andWall Street Journal. He is the former editor of Granta and the author of Shrinking the World and a collection of author interviews How to Read a Novelist. He lives in New York City

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