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