The Rise of Writing Redefining Mass Literacy by Deborah Brandt: A Book Review

Abstract

Deborah Brandt delves deeply into the act and purpose of writing in her book The rise of
writing - reinventing mass literacy, which was published in 2015. She investigates what it is
that individuals do with writing, how they come into contact with writing, and how they
relate to writing in general. Written communication takes centre stage, with the reading
component of literacy relegated to the background, and she provides numerous instances to
demonstrate how writing has become an increasingly significant aspect of most people's
lives. The novel is set in the United States and discusses the results of a massive research
study that Brandt conducted over the course of a decade.