Masters of the Word: How Media Shaped History from the Alphabet to the Internet

Book Review

"Masters of the Word" by William Bernstein is a grand and elegant exploration of how the word, embodied in various forms—from oral traditions to digital streams—has shaped the destinies of civilizations. With meticulous precision and historical erudition, the author traces the path of human communication, revealing how mastery over the word became the key to dominance and freedom. Bernstein does more than recount the history of writing and printing; he skillfully weaves into his narrative the fates of peoples, revolutions, and cultural upheavals, showing how the word became both weapon and shield. Critics note that the book is written in a lively, vivid style, rich with striking examples and unexpected parallels, blending scholarly rigor with literary expressiveness. At the same time, some reviewers point to excessive detail in certain periods, which may slow the pace of reading, but this does not diminish the book's merits as an intellectual journey through the ages. "Masters of the Word" is a hymn to human thought and a testament to how the word, once set free, changes the world.