Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.
Dr. Seuss
Books have brought people new ideas and ways of thinking, and a greater knowledge of the world and how it works. Understanding the history of how books were created and dispensed gives us a better appreciation of our cognitive, technical and societal development.
Where It All Started
We can look back at the earliest forms of recording information, finding clay tablets in Mesopotamia, papyrus scrolls in Egypt. Both of these were used to write religious, literary and trade texts. We need to go forward a little before we start seeing anything that looks like the thriving publishing industry we have today.
The Codex
The invention of the Codex came in 1st century CE, this early form of writing was a bound page with information written on both sides. Codices, as they were known, started replacing scrolls and allowed people to transport written information more easily. The first publishers were monks, beavering away in medieval monasteries meticulously copying texts by hand. Biblical texts were the dominant texts written at that time.
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1439, revolutionising book printing. Making the mass production of printed material and books practicable. Books started to become more affordable and widely available to the public. Subjects such as religion, classical literature and grammar were the books of the day. As literacy levels improved, books on all kinds of subjects started emerging.
Technological Advancements
The steam powered press came in during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century allowing publishers to meet the high demand of books being purchased. In the 20th century greater efficiency and flexibility came in with digital and offset printing.
With the inception of computers and the internet, self-published authors can sell their books worldwide. Digital books have changed the way books are read and carried. You no longer need a paper copy, you can carry as many books as you want on a mobile phone or tablet.
Transformation of Literature Through the Printing Press
Books were no longer a rare and expensive item available in wealthy institutions. Through the creation of the printing press, books were available to anyone that could read, and helped raise literacy levels.
Early Publishers
Small printing shops began popping up all over the place, feeding the every growing appetite of the literate populace. Aldus Manutius, an early innovator in the publishing world, made books portable and more affordable. Quickly, the book publishing industry started to build and establish itself as a thriving industry.
Digitisation
With the birth of digitisation, printing has remained relatively unchanged, but ebooks and self-publishing platforms have changed the publishing world. Authors everywhere can write, edit and put their book's in for publishing on a self-publishing platform such as Amazon.
Millions of books are read on e-readers, tablets and mobile phones everyday, and enable readers anywhere to download their favourite book for as little as $0.99.
The Birth of Ebooks
The first ebook was stored on a single computer, and thought to be, Index Thomisticus by Roberto Busa. It wasn't until the internet was born that ebooks really took off, and the launch of dedicated e-readers, with ebook sales comprising 30% of all book sales.
Conclusion
Looking at today's technology, and the ease of downloading a book onto a device, it's pretty clear to see that the publishing world has come a long way.
But where will it take us next?
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