Orality and Literacy: 30th Anniversary Edition (New Accents) 3rd Edition

by Walter J. Ong (Author), John Hartley (Foreword)

77 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0415538381

ISBN-10: 0415538386

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Walter J. Ong’s classic work provides a fascinating insight into the social effects of oral, written, printed and electronic technologies, and their impact on philosophical, theological, scientific and literary thought.

This thirtieth anniversary edition – coinciding with Ong’s centenary year – reproduces his best-known and most influential book in full and brings it up to date with two new exploratory essays by cultural writer and critic John Hartley.

Hartley provides:

A scene-setting chapter that situates Ong’s work within the historical and disciplinary context of post-war Americanism and the rise of communication and media studies;

A closing chapter that follows up Ong’s work on orality and literacy in relation to evolving media forms, with a discussion of recent criticisms of Ong’s approach, and an assessment of his concept of the ‘evolution of consciousness’;

Extensive references to recent scholarship on orality, literacy and the study of knowledge technologies, tracing changes in how we know what we know.

These illuminating essays contextualize Ong within recent intellectual history, and display his work’s continuing force in the ongoing study of the relationship between literature and the media, as well as that of psychology, education and sociological thought.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Walter J. Ong (30 November 1912 – 12 August 2003) was University Professor Emeritus at Saint Louis University, USA, where he was previously Professor of English and Professor of Humanities in Psychiatry. His many publications have been highly influential for studies in the evolution of consciousness.

John Hartley is an educator, author, researcher and commentator on the history and cultural impact of television, journalism, popular media and creative industries. He is Professor of Cultural Science and Director of the Centre for Culture & Technology at Curtin University, Western Australia.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 3rd edition (November 1, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0415538386
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0415538381
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #151,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #508 in Communication Reference (Books)
- #824 in Literature
- #955 in Literary Criticism & Theory

Customer Reviews:
77 ratings

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5 star		62%
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2 star		3%
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Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2019

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Ong's book contains some insightful discourse on speech and text. This book is required for a college course I am taking but I plan on reading it again after the semester. He gives numerous perspectives on the origin and use of language that have me greatly intrigued to explore and ponder. The reason I gave this 3 stars is because the information is not effectively delivered. There isn't a clear structure to his essays which sadly diminishes the profound ideas he writes about. He also tends to go off topic and some essays in this book appear to be derailed by some secondary idea. Many of the essays also do not have thesis or conclusions, making it difficult to extract anything of value without the help of an instructor. Upon a second reading I will need to highlight and write more clear notes.

Overall he's got some awesome ideas, but reading the book is hard work even for someone who reads and writes a lot.

9 people found this helpful

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Molly Johnson

one really excellent chapter on essentials of oral v. literate cultures

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2014

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This book contains an excellent explanation of the difference between oral and literate cultures, and the features that distinguish them. In one of the earlier chapters, Ong makes clear what it is about oral peoples that drives literate people crazy. By reading it, I got a lot of clarity on why reasoning requires writing, and exactly what is missing from the reasoning ability of non-reading people. Ties in very neatly with Ayn Rand's theory of concepts and also explains why the ancient Greeks made such enormous progress in a short period of time once they developed the ability to record new thoughts in writing. Ong's other chapters I found less useful and not so original, but his tight, integrated summary of the differences between orality and literacy made the book more than worthwhile for me.

13 people found this helpful

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Meg R.

missing pages

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2021

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two of the pages in the middle of a chapter are completely blank

One person found this helpful

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Savannah

An Amazing Writer With a Compelling Argument

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2013

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Ong is one of the most mind-blowing writers in the field of literacy studies/linguistics, and yet he manages to write such complex concepts in very digestable, flowing language. It takes a true master of his subject to be able to make his work so approachable while simultaneously pushing you to expand your notion of what impacts the transition from oral to a text-based/visual society will have.

16 people found this helpful

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Marc

Fascinating

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2017

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The orality part is truly fascinating. This is a topic that I had never thought about and it is truly fascinating.
The literacy part, not so much, although the transition from orality to literacy is very interesting.
A must read.

2 people found this helpful

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Donny Rice

The information is for the most part easily accessible and digestible

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2016

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Really interesting and relevant read. I had it for a college course. The information is for the most part easily accessible and digestible, though Ong sometimes goes off on tangents that I struggled to follow. There's some criticism on the accuracy of his claim on how writing affects human consciousness, but it's still a fun theory and has some practical uses.

One person found this helpful

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Virginia Cadenhead

Reference material

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2019

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Got this book as an original source for my doctoral studies. Great information that helps me lay a foundation

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Luck

Good Quality

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2019

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This is readable and sheds light on so many questions. I'm still reading it, and, surprisingly for an academic book, I can hardly put it down!

One person found this helpful

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Mr. C de Barra

Speech comes from the depths of a human person.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2019

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This book clarifies the importance of the spoken word and yet shows how written and printed language has benefited mankind.
Language is such a human thing it’s Origen must be Devine. “In the begging was the Word and the Word was with God”

2 people found this helpful

Mike Gershon

A superb book, filled with fascinating insights

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2013

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This book remains a classic work many decades after its publication. Ong writes with wit, insight and humanity, drawing fascinating insights from the realms of language, psychoanalysis and anthropology. A must-read for anyone interested in the workings of the human mind and the role of literacy in the development of thought.

2 people found this helpful

Luis de Sousa Martins

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 3, 2018

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An amazing and stimulating author

One person found this helpful

John M. MCCULLOUGH

Very good condition. Bit of a heavy read but interesting ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2016

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Very good condition. Bit of a heavy read but interesting with relevance to our semi-literate friends.

2 people found this helpful

Pedro Russi

Recomiendo

Reviewed in Spain on April 11, 2013

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excelente para todo los que busquen entender el proceso de lo escrito y lo oral, un clásico en ese sentido.
es la base conceptual para el pensamiento de Eric A. Havelock

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Orality and Literacy: 30th Anniversary Edition (New Accents) 3rd Edition

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