How did humans get from cave paintings to email? Michael and Mary B. Woods offer a piece of that history in this account of the history of the spoken and written word until the invention of the printing press in 1452. They begin with a discussion of early hunter-gatherers, as well as the process of human evolution that provided us with the ability to speak to each other. The investigation also covers ancient civilizations across the world, including Egyptian hieroglyphics, Sumerian cuneiform, and the Greek alphabet, among many others. The history of papermaking, from clay tablets to papyrus scrolls and beyond, fill in the jumps from culture to culture. Many civilizations made great headway in the art of communication, such as Mayan codices and early Chinese printing presses, that were then spread across the globe through trade and colonization. Though early recorded pieces are most often official records owing to limited literacy, these writings and drawings provide fascinating glimpses of history. This exploration of communication celebrates human innovation across history and provides readers with a solid context for modern-day communication.