Ruth Finnegan

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.

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.

Treatments of human communication mostly draw on cognitive and word-centred models to present it as predominantly a matter of words. This, Finnegan argues, seriously underestimates the far-reaching multi-modal qualities of human interconnecting and the senses of touch, olfaction, and, above all, audition and vision that we draw on.In an authoritative and readable account, Ruth Finnegan brings together research from linguistic and sensory anthropology, material culture, non-verbal communication, computer-mediated communication, and, strikingly, research on animal communication, such as the remarkable gesture systems of great apes. She draws on her background in classical studies and her long anthropological experience to present illuminating examples from throughout the world, past and present.The result is to uncover an amazing array of sounds, sights, smells, gestures, looks, movements, touches, and material objects used by humans and other animals to interconnect both nearby and across space and timeShe goes on to first explore the extra-sensory modes of communication now being revealed in the extraordinary "new science" research and then, in an incendiary conclusion, to deny the long-prevailing story of human history by questioning whether orality really came before literacy; whether it was really through "the acquisition of language" that our prehistoric cave painting ancestors made a sudden leap into being "true humans"; and finally, astonishingly, to ask whether human communicating had its first roots not, after all, in verbal language but something else.Not to be missed, this highly original book brings a fresh perspective on, among other things, that central topic of interest today – the dawn of human history – and on what being homo sapiens really means. This revised and updated edition has additional illustrations, updated chapters, and a new concluding chapter. A provocative and controversial account that will stir worldwide debate, this book is an essential transdisciplinary overview for researchers and advanced students in language and communication, anthropology, and cultural studies.

Treatments of human communication mostly draw on cognitive and word-centred models to present it as predominantly a matter of words. This, Finnegan argues, seriously underestimates the far-reaching multi-modal qualities of human interconnecting and the senses of touch, olfaction, and, above all, audition and vision that we draw on.In an authoritative and readable account, Ruth Finnegan brings together research from linguistic and sensory anthropology, material culture, non-verbal communication, computer-mediated communication, and, strikingly, research on animal communication, such as the remarkable gesture systems of great apes. She draws on her background in classical studies and her long anthropological experience to present illuminating examples from throughout the world, past and present.The result is to uncover an amazing array of sounds, sights, smells, gestures, looks, movements, touches, and material objects used by humans and other animals to interconnect both nearby and across space and timeShe goes on to first explore the extra-sensory modes of communication now being revealed in the extraordinary "new science" research and then, in an incendiary conclusion, to deny the long-prevailing story of human history by questioning whether orality really came before literacy; whether it was really through "the acquisition of language" that our prehistoric cave painting ancestors made a sudden leap into being "true humans"; and finally, astonishingly, to ask whether human communicating had its first roots not, after all, in verbal language but something else.Not to be missed, this highly original book brings a fresh perspective on, among other things, that central topic of interest today – the dawn of human history – and on what being homo sapiens really means. This revised and updated edition has additional illustrations, updated chapters, and a new concluding chapter. A provocative and controversial account that will stir worldwide debate, this book is an essential transdisciplinary overview for researchers and advanced students in language and communication, anthropology, and cultural studies.

Another magical adventure by Kris and Kate and their accident- prone but adorable did Holly. Their initially delightful voyage ends in a fearsome wreck on an unknown island, their ship shattered into a million fragments, They barely escape with their lives, Holly nearly nit making it at all. Unexpectedly helped by birds, they make their way to the king of the island. To Kate he reveals much of the great wisdom of birds, who eventually help them rebuild their ship and sail safe home, having learned much on the way.

Can you solve Holly's puzzle? A vibrantly illustrated and enchanting book for 5 to 8 year olds. Kris and Kate continue their adventures - in and out of the sea, on an enchanted island, on the trees, in storms and in dead calms. And their adorable dog Holly is there too (helping or endangering?) - interested only in finding her bone again. But - would they all get home in time for tea? And where oh where is Holly's bone?

Kris and Kate's next adventure. Out to the deep deep sea (Ruth Finnegan and Abby Smith) Adventure, away, and what next we say For Kris and for Kate and for dog Hollee? They go on the ocean and sail right away. Come listen, come look, and come sail with me " A fantastic picture book of colour, friendship, adventure - and a delightfully wilful dog for 3-8 year olds

Pearl in the deep wood. The voice of the living trees. Ruth Finnegan. In this, the fifth, volume of the ever recycling Kate-Pearl love story, the voices are those of the trees. They speak both collectively and separately - the beech, the cherry, the cedar, the oak and many many more. In this volume, Kate again tries to redeem her fatal mistake in rejecting "him". She painfully climbs tree after tree to find him. But again and again and again, he is not there. When at last she sees him near the top of the highest tree, she reaches up to him but he then lets her hand slip from his and, abandoning her, continues into heaven on his own. Kate fall agonisingly to the ground and lies there in despair. In heaven he realises what he has done and against all advice goes back to try to find Kate Going down is even harder than up. He has to circle the earth, inch by inch lower in each tree that he clambers down, before he finally finds her and persuades her to climb again. She clambers up a tree near him but is too frightened to jump across to him. Only when he risks falling himself by cutting off the very branch he is clinging to, does she finally dare to jump and they at last enter heaven together. Originating in dreams, the expression is permeated with poetic and literary echoes, recalling the sonic styles of writers like Yeats, Joyce or Hopkins. A unique and enchanting work that immerses the reader in a mystic mythic world.

It is a common notion that Africa has, and indeed ought to have, learned much from the west. This is not wrong; all cultures rightly learn from each other. But less is said of what there is to learn from Africa: from her stories, myths, music, proverbs, insights - and more. Here an acclaimed African scholar steps into the gap with a prize winning account that uncovers something of the great legacy of African thought and practice in ways that will astonish many. Written with verve and authority and directed above all to students and sixth formers, this book will also delight and often surprise those who know something of Africa as well as those hitherto ignorant.

Nobody loved her. And she so longed to love someone, anyone, even a little cat. They wouldn't let her. A funny-sad tale with superb insights into the inner doings of university life and the saving power of music. All too true

A stunning account of how things that seem just part of everyday life, are in fact extraordinary once we notice them. As anthropologists do when they stop to listen. As poets do when they see the world in a grain of sand. When we see how things that are not normally defined as special, perhaps because studied or practised by 'amateurs' rather than 'specialists', are often truly special. How as we go through our daily round our lives are surrounded by splendour. After you read this then world will never look the same.

A startling and mind-provoking account of how things that seem just part of everyday life, are in fact extraordinary once we notice them. As anthropologists do when they stop to listen. As poets do when they see the world in a grain of sand. When we see how things that are not normally defined as special, perhaps because studied or practised by 'amateurs' rather than 'specialists', are often in truth truly special. How as we go through our daily round our lives are surrounded by splendour. After you read this the world will never look the same.

The little angel, on his way to carry out his scary "very responsible" tasks on earth now he has his certificate, meets terrifying adventures in space. Would he, could he ever get to earth? Or just have to return useless, his record book empty, to heaven to face the Archangels and, worse, his darling little sister - ohhh