Cover of Orality and Literacy

Book · 1982 · Oral tradition

Orality and Literacy

by Walter J. Ong · Recommended by 1 person on 1 podcast

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Walter's orality and literacy which I've been talking about a lot which is basically the way like our communication environment is such that we're like an oral society increasingly.
Joe Weisenthal · The Ezra Klein Show · Dec 2025 Listen at 1:17:26

Why people recommend it

Orality and Literacy by Walter J. Ong is a seminal academic work that explores the profound technological and psychological transitions from oral cultures to literate societies. On The Ezra Klein Show, Joe Weisenthal recommended Walter Ong's book to help explain modern shifts in communication and media environments. Weisenthal stated that he had been talking about the concepts frequently, noting how contemporary communication environments increasingly mirror the characteristics of an oral society. The book examines how writing and electronic media fundamentally restructure human consciousness, memory, and social organization. By invoking Ong's foundational framework, Weisenthal illustrated how traditional economic and social paradigms often fail to account for the unique ways people interact and share information in the digital age. The recommendation serves as a bridge between historical media theory and current societal observations, prompting audiences to reconsider the mediums through which they consume and process knowledge. Through this discussion, listeners are encouraged to examine the structural evolution of human speech and writing to better comprehend the modern information ecosystem and its broader cultural implications.

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Joe Weisenthal Walter's orality and literacy which I've been talking about a lot which is basically the way like our commu… 1
Recommended
“Walter's orality and literacy which I've been talking about a lot which is basically the way like our communication environment is such that we're like an oral society increasingly”

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