James O'Donnell is Professor of Classical Studies and Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing at the University of Pennsylvania. O'Donnell brings together a fascinating combination of academic interests. His Web site is rich with information. You can check it out at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod.

Here's how he uses "avatar"

I take "avatar" throughout in the sense of "manifestation" --- the form in which some abstract and powerful force takes palpable shape for human perception. (page xi)

This book is very nicely written. With the perception of classicist, O'Donnell does indeed describe various manifestations of the word -- truly from papyrus to cyberspace. There is much I enjoy and agree with in this book. I love his descriptions of what a big deal it was to actually write words. Then figure out how to save written words over time. He clearly has a deep love for libraries. On page 4 he discusses Erasmus and Nicholas of Cusa, and adds "neither of them could possibly imagine a world so awash in books as ours is." I love the imagery of a world awash in books!

That skepticism is understood if we pay heed to the circumstances of reading and reception that Socrates imagines. The written word for him is mute, unable to explain itself. Written words, when queried, maintain the same "solemn silence" as a painting. If you ask them what they mean, they give the same answer over and over again, and they cannot distinguish between suitable and unsuitable readers. Writing has not the protections against misunderstanding that speech has.

Interesting ... the written word as mute. In regard to printed books, we can add that the written word is stable -- might as well be carved in stone. I do not see this as a problem. As a matter of fact, I see it as an asset.

In the Preface (p. x) O'Donnell writes, "While no single argument is advanced, the book is structured as an increasingly focused series of meditations approaching the issues and experiences of our own time." I am still reading this book. While there may be no single argument, there appear to be multiple arguments, and I cannot agree with some of what appear to be conclusions.

I do not agree that the scholarly monograph published by a scholarly, distinguished press "is beginning to look more and more like a great lumbering dinosaur" (p. 58). Who published Avatars of the Word? Harvard University Press. Why didn't O'Donnell just post the text on his Web site?

I do not agree that printed-on-paper scholarly journals "will fade soon as well" (p. 59-60).

The thought of and impact of "authorless creations" (p. 63) is very disturbing to me.

I have more say about many of the ideas in this book. But, it is taking me much longer than should be necessary to read. I have to make copious notes because the index is so awful. I would be hard pressed to find some of O'Donnell's choice remarks if I had rely on the near useless index that is mainly a collection of names and proper nouns with only a few concepts included (BTW, I counted 10). I am surprised that such a thoughtful book was allowed to be published with such inadequate access to material inside.

More on this book later. If you are at all interested in any of the topics I have mentioned, I urge you to read the book. Even if you disagree with O'Donnell, reading this book, printed on paper by a lumbering dinosaur of a press, will be a treat.