Chp. 4: Books Flashcards
Development of Writing
- Approx. 3500 BC: writing originates in Egypt or Mesopotamia
- Earliest writing was pictographs and ideographs; symbols that stand for ideas
- Approx. 2000 BC: phonography begins; symbols stand for sounds
- 1700–1500 BC: alphabets developed; letters stand for sounds
Development of Books
- Earliest books were papyrus scrolls
- 400–800 AD: religious books hand-copied by monks in rooms called scriptoria
- 1200s: government licensed publishers distribute hand-copied books such as The Canterbury Tales
Development of Paper
- 3100 BC: Egyptians develop papyrus, writing surface made from papyrus reed
- Parchment – writing surface from skin of goats and sheep; much less fragile than papyrus
- 240–105 BC: paper developed by Chinese; moves to Europe in mid-11th century
The Invention of Mass Culture
- 1455: Gutenberg develops movable metal type, makes printing feasible
- First mass-produced written word
Consequences of the Printing Press
- Standardized books and language
- Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
- Messages and ideas take on a broader scope: regional, national, and international
Books in the New World
- 1539: first New World printing press in Mexico City •1640: printing begins in North America with Whole Books of Psalms . Book became early export for colonies
- 1731: Benjamin Franklin establishes early circulating (subscription) libraries; went on to become popular author, magazine publisher, newspaper publisher
Mass-Produced Books
- 1814: steam-powered rotary press
- 1830s–1840s: popularity of serial novels
- Civil War era: popularity of paperback dime novels
- Growth of inexpensive books, magazines, and newspapers fuels growth of mass literacy
The 21st-Century Book Business
- Publishers
- Authors
- BooksellersHanson
Publishers
•Major U.S. publishers:
–Cengage, McGraw-Hill, Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Harper Collins
•University and small presses
•Government Publishing Office
Authors
- Not everyone is a star
- Many books have limited promotion
- Median income for U.S. writers and authors was $61,240 in 2016
Booksellers
•Wholesalers and distributors
– Ingram Book Group
•Major bookstore chains
– Barnes & Noble is largest bookseller, last big player standing
Books and the Long Tail
- Amazon.com – offering all books rather than a selection of books
- Electronic publishing and print-on-demand
- Tracks reader interests and recommends books based on purchasing and browsing history
Media Transformations:Textbook Business
- College Board estimates students spend average of $1,250 a year on books and supplies; CNBC estimates spending of $579 on a basket of 10 required materials, bought used, sold back
- Schools try variety of ways to lower costs including rentals, choosing less-expensive editions, and electronic books
- Experiments with inclusive access– publisher licenses materials to school so all students have access at reduced cost
Great Books vs. Popular Books
- Nathaniel Hawthorne vs. the “scribblers”
- Popularity of domestic novels•Focus for contemporary publishers is on authors who write multiple bestsellers •Vampires, wizards, “manic pixie dream girls,” and the NYT Best Seller list
Libraries
•Libraries date back to at least 2144 BC with collections of clay tablets in what is now Iraq
•Functions of libraries
–People without computers or internet access can go online
–Massive collections of electronic documents
–Access to e-books
–Book club bags
