Praise for Before Writing : "...possibly the single most important contribution published in recent years concerned with the antecedents to writing." --Libraries and Culture "Schmandt-Besserat's discovery and its ramifications . . . are crucial to understanding the development of civilization.... This is a thought-provoking book, beautifully produced, and what it tells us is of great importance." --Times Literary Supplement "What shines here is the human mind, spinning a tight web of inference from abundant evidence." --Scientific American