1. Chapter 4 Books: The Birth of the Mass Media

2. Development of Writing
Approx BC: Writing originates in Egypt or Mesopotamia
Earliest writing was pictographs and ideographs; symbols that stand for ideas
Approx BC: Phonography begins; symbols stand for sounds
1700 – 1500 BC: Alphabets developed; letters stand for sounds

3. 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.
BC: Paper developed by Chinese; moves to Europe in mid-11th century.

4. Development of Books Earliest books were papyrus scrolls
AD: Religious books hand-copied by monks in rooms called scriptoria.
1200s: Licensed publishers distribute hand- copied books such as The Canterbury Tales.

5. The Invention of Mass Culture
1455: Gutenberg develops movable metal type, makes printing feasible.
First mass-produced written word.

6. Consequences of Gutenberg
Standardized books and language
Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
Made possible transferring ideas beyond community where they originated

7. Books in the New World
1539: First New World printing press in Mexico City.
1640: Printing begins in North America with Whole Booke of Psalmes. Book became early export for colonies.
1731: Benjamin Franklin establishes early circulating (subscription) libraries. Went on to become popular author.

8. 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

9. The Book Business
Publishers
Authors
Booksellers

10. Publishers Major commercial publishers University and small presses
Vanity presses and self-publishing
Government Printing Office

11. Authors
Not everyone is a star.
Many books have limited promotion.

12. Book Writing Process

13. Booksellers Wholesalers/distributors—Ingram Book Group
Major bookstore chains—Barnes & Noble is largest bookseller
Independent booksellers—American Bookseller’s Association
Mail-order book clubs

14. Textbook Business Barnes & Noble has major campus bookstore division
GAO estimates on the average, a student spends $900 a year on textbooks
Schools try variety of ways to lower costs
Schools experimenting with e-book readers
Authors/publishers make nothing on used books

15. Great Books vs. Popular Books
Nathaniel Hawthorne vs. the “scribblers”
Popularity of domestic novels
Stephen King —“The literary equivalent of a Big Mac and a large fries.”
Vampires, wizards, and the NYT Best Seller list

16. Books and Censorship
Book banning in the United States is generally local and involves taking books out of libraries or off school reading lists
Globally, authors can have works banned, threats of violence and death
Salman Rushdie—The Satanic Verses
Sherry Jones—The Jewel of Medina

17. Books and the Long Tail
Amazon.com—Offering all books rather than a selection of books
Electronic publishing and print-on-demand
Importance of e-book readers such as the Kindle, Nook, or iPad