How Long to Read Mother of Writing

By William A. Smalley

How Long Does it Take to Read Mother of Writing?

It takes the average reader 4 hours and 1 minute to read Mother of Writing by William A. Smalley

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

In February of 1971, in the Laotian village of Nam Chia, a forty-one year old farmer named Shong Lue Yang was assassinated by government soldiers. Shong Lue claimed to have been descended of God and given the mission of delivering the first true Hmong alphabet. Many believed him to be the Hmong people's long-awaited messiah, and his thousands of followers knew him as "Mother (Source) of Writing." An anthropological linguist who has worked among the Hmong, William A. Smalley joins Shong Lue's chief disciple, Chia Koua Vang, and one of his associates, to tell the fascinating story of how the previously unschooled farmer developed his remarkable writing system through four stages of increasing sophistication. The uniqueness of Shong Lue's achievement is highlighted by a comparison of Shong Lue's writing system to other known Hmong systems and to the history of writing as a whole. In addition to a nontechnical linguistic analysis of the script and a survey of its current use, Mother of Writing provides an intriguing cultural account of Shong Lue's life. The book traces the twenty-year-long struggle to disseminate the script after Shong Lue's death, first by handwriting, then by primitive moveable type, an abortive attempt to design a wooden typewriter, and finally by modern wordprocessing. In a moving concluding chapter, Smalley discusses his own complex feelings about his coauthors' story.

How long is Mother of Writing?

Mother of Writing by William A. Smalley is 241 pages long, and a total of 60,491 words.

This makes it 81% the length of the average book. It also has 74% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Mother of Writing Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 5 hours and 30 minutes to read Mother of Writing aloud.

What Reading Level is Mother of Writing?

Mother of Writing is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Mother of Writing?

Mother of Writing by William A. Smalley is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

To buy Mother of Writing by William A. Smalley on Amazon click the button below.

Buy Mother of Writing on Amazon