From the introduction:... This work does not claim to be a monograph on the general history of writing. Its main task is to set and solve fundamental questions of writing theory on the basis of historical material: about the essence of writing and its relationship to language and thinking; on typology and terminology of writing; about the conditions, sources and time of occurrence of the letter; on the factors that determine the general historical development of writing, on the most important laws of this development and on the reasons that determine the peculiarities of writing among various peoples...