As a writer/storyteller, I was captivated by this review of Ong's life-long endeavor to bring back the vocal word to the culture. Farrel's inclusion of other familiar proponents of the evolution of human consciousness (Buber, Chardin, Cargas) and noted contemporaries such as John Bradshaw, gave this lay person a feeling of comfort among scholarly dialogue. Ong's acceptance of modern technology, such as TV, gives credence to his "ordinary language philosophy." The focus of Farrell's study, is the "feeling/valuing function" of our human consciousness, and also the focus of many psychologists today. Not a quick read, yet a page turner nevertheless.