Encyclopedia Entry

“The Emergence of Book Dispersal and How it Affects Societies’ Communicational Development” 

In order to explore the evolution of book distribution, the definition of a book and it’s text must be identified. A book is a physical object that an individual can hold and own, most importantly a book is reproducible. Books became the communicational revolution around the world. Before the 21st century invention of email, societies relied on tablets, scrolls, papyrus and books to transfer information around the globe. It should be noted that many societies do not have much documentation accounting the development of text and books as well as the effects they had on their culture (Diringer,15). The origin of distributing books is found in the natural human desire for conventional and global communication. As well, the transfer of information within a book is built upon the fundamental characteristics of communication (Diringer,16).

Examining the rise and impact of print culture from both economic and cultural perspectives in China, gives further insight into one of the most influential country within the book production and distribution industry. The main issues concerned there were the costs of books as well as the cost of production. In China, woodblock print was still popular even after the invention of movable print, because of its lower cost. It is thanks to the expansion of the book market that literacy grew (Chow, 22).

The development of books is the main factor for the development of knowledge and power among society. The transformation and dispersal of books played a vital role in the distribution of knowledge and ideas. Enforcing how crucial text is to the evolution of human development (Dane,37). Sociology of text derives from tradition. Society relies on a set of rules and traditions in order to function. It is the context of the text that enforces these rules, for example the bible. Society requires a general sense of security, this can be created by the dispensation of printed texts, since a series of books would be identical and therefore reliable (Dane,37).

A book establishes knowledge in society. The function of a book in society plays along with the readers, and without readers, the book serves no purpose (Finkelstien,98). This function is the symbol of status, allowing wealthy and powerful individuals, commonly men, to own books and be educated enough to read them. Oral culture is another practice of reading, mainly in groups, which allowed those who were illiterate and poor to become a part of the readership society (Finkelstien,113). Serving as a symbol for a higher status made the ownership of a book more appealing and therefore higher in demand, slowly creating a community of book buyers and sellers.

Distribution networks have grown into a mature web of international routes, as consequence of the books high demand. The distribution of texts derived from countries with the knowledge to write and manufacture books, primarily Asia, and were then circulated around other countries, such as Europe, with different books or goods to offer (Chow, 7). It was and still is popular culture that influences the mass production of books. Print culture manifested from the development of writing, which can be identified as scribe culture. Print is a skill, which is also recognized as an art form, similar to writing and calligraphy, which was used to decorate and illustrate books, thus creating the different value of books (Eisenstien, 23).

The invention of new media has an effect on society with the transmission of information to and from multiple societies and cultures. Text is a material object that can be read many ways. It is also abstract because of its ability to be interpreted in different ways. However, there is most commonly a shared interpretation, despite differences in ethnicity and individuality. Even though books were written in multiple languages and in different forms, the concept of writing was universal, allowing printed texts to grow and spread in a constant system.

Tags:

Shipping, Art, Languages, Religion, Tradition, Hardcover, History, Origin, Communications, Exchange, Ethnicity, Sociology, Print, Texts, China, Europe, Writing

Bibliography:

Diringer, David. The book before printing :Ancient, Medieval, and Oriental. New York: Dover, 1982. Print.

Dane, Joseph. The Myth of Print Culture: Essays on Evidence, Textuality, and Bibliographical Method. Toronto: University Of Toronto Press, 2003. Print.

Eisenstien, Elizabeth. The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print

Finkelstien, David. An Introduction to Book History. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print.

Chow, Kai-Wing. Publishing, Culture and Power in Early Modern China. California: Stanford California Press, 2004. Print

Hall, David. Cultures of Print: Essays in the History of the Book. Amherst: University Of Massachusetts Press, 1996. Print.

Howsam, Lesiie. Old Books and New Histories: An Orientation to Studies in Book and Print Culture. Toronto: University Of Toronto Press, 2006. Print.

Johns, Adrianne. The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1998. Print.

McKitterick, David. Print, Manuscript and the Search for Order, 1450-1830. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.

History of the book in Canada, 1840-1918. Vol. 2. Toronto: University Of Toronto Press, 2004-2007. Print.

Fang, Irving. A History of Mass Communications: Six Information Revolutions. Boston: Elservier Science, 1997. Print.

Hall, David. Cultures of Print: Essays in the History of the Book. Amherst: University Of Massachusetts Press, 1996. Print.