From the earliest times people have been driven by a desire to communicate, share experiences and entertain. Begining with simple smoke signals and ending with the latest telepathic implants media charts the fascinating story of how information is passed on.This book tells how the first alphabets led to the birth of the written word and eventually to printed books. In this century television has given us a window on the world and newspapers have kept us up-to-date with today's events. Now the digital revolution sends our messages across the world in a matter of minutes and the Internet provides instant access to vast amounts of information. All these media transmit information so fast that the world is becoming a global village. Written by Cliff Gifford, science writer and author of many children's books this is a unique and exciting history of the world's media.