Strange Tools of Human Communication

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A01=Ruth Finnegan
ancestral consciousness
Author_Ruth Finnegan
Category=AVL
Category=CFB
Category=GTC
Category=JHMC
cave art analysis
cross-cultural symbolism
eq_art-fashion-photography
eq_bestseller
eq_dictionaries-language-reference
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_music
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
Ethnomusicology
Gestural Communication
Human Communication
Linguistic Anthropology
multimodal communication
nonverbal expression
oral tradition studies
Sociocultural Anthropology
subconscious influence in communication
Verbal Communication
Written Communication

Product details

  • ISBN 9781032799049
  • Weight: 480g
  • Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
  • Publication Date: 26 May 2025
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
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The Strange Tools of Human Communication: The Voice, the Pen, and the Lyre is a thought-provoking exploration of the everyday tools of communication that weaves together history, art, and science to reveal how the voice, hand, and mind shape our shared experiences.

Through a blend of scholarly research, personal insights, and field experiences – from the oral tales of Sierra Leone's Limba storytellers to ancient cave art and modern iconography – this book offers fresh perspectives on how we connect across time and cultures. Challenging the idea that spoken language alone defines humanity, it emphasises the crucial role of hands, gestures, and artistic forms as the foundation of human communication. Readers are invited to consider the possibility of an ancestral, shared consciousness and the mysterious similarities in ancient art worldwide. Through vivid examples and personal insights, the book redefines communication as a blend of conscious expression and subconscious influence, inviting readers to consider the hidden connections that unite us across cultures and time, and to contemplate the future of communication.

The Strange Tools of Human Communication is an ideal supplement to upper level undergraduate and graduate courses in cultural anthropology, sociocultural linguistics, and cultural studies.

Ruth Finnegan OBE is Emeritus Professor at the Open University, UK

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