The Civilization of Illiteracy

The author traces a cultural shift from alphabet-based literacy toward a media-driven, visually oriented communication environment, arguing that signs, images, and interactive technologies reshape how people think, remember, and act. He examines the transition from orality to writing, language's role as a mediating mechanism, and how market forces, advertising, and workplace technologies create new languages and transient literacies. Chapters explore consequences for education, family life, sexuality, consumption, art, science, and politics, highlighting tensions between permanence and immediacy. Visual culture, computational tools, and networked interaction are presented as both opportunities and challenges for comprehension, creativity, and civic engagement. The book concludes by urging adaptive institutions and critical awareness to navigate an interactive future.