Books; Writing and the Alphabet

A system of language symbols that are conjoined (pictorial, alphabetical, or otherwise) permitting one to transmit information to current or future generations; often depicted in the format that has become known as a book, is called writing.  Such text or writing appears to have developed between the 7th millennium BC and the 4th millennium BC; first in the form of early symbols that individuals could easily remember, then beginning around 1100 BC, writing emerged in the form of what is known as the “Phoenician Alphabet” or script.   This later became the parent script of all western alphabets including, Hebrew and Greek.  The Phoenician script, itself remained in use until about 200 AD.

A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or some other material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet is called a leaf, and each side of a leaf is called a page. 

It took thousands of years to reach the stage where man could produce anything that even remotely resembled a book as we know it today. In fact, the earliest “books” we know about were not really books in the modern sense of the word at all.   Several thousand years ago, the Babylonians and Assyrians placed records upon tablets that were made of clay.  Sometimes the record was a long one and occupied many clay tablets thus creating a “book” of a sort.

Following clay tablets, there were Scrolls: Around 2400 BC, in ancient Egypt, books were written on rolls of papyrus known as scrolls.  Using sooty water as ink, the Egyptians wrote down poetry, stories, and records of all kinds in hieroglyphics, or picture writing.  Since the rolls were not convenient to handle, the writing was sometimes done on separate sheets. These sheets were then laced together with cords to make a crude book. Other ancient peoples, including the Greeks and Romans, made books of this type but they didn’t have a hard cover.

By about 400 AD the “codex” style book which was developed in Rome came of age.  A codex is a book in the same format used for current books, typically bound together and given a wooden cover.  The codex book gradually replaced the scroll, which was the dominant form of book in the ancient world.   The codex has been termed the most important advance in the history of the book design, prior to the invention of printing.  The codex was an improvement over the scroll in several ways. It could be opened flat at any page, allowing easier reading; the pages could be written on both front and back; the codex, protected the pages within its durable covers, and it was more compact and easier to transport.

The very first printing press provided a method of movable type which cut down the time it took to create a printed book. It was invented in Germany by Johann Gutenberg in 1439.  Before the invention and adoption of the printing press, almost all books were copied by hand, which made books expensive and comparatively rare.

Today we use “e-books” (electronic books) and more recently the “Kindle” which is a hand held device used for reading e-books.    An e-book can then be read off a PC screen or a laptop, as well as eBook readers, palm pilots and organizers.

 “Audio Books” are for us lazy 'readers' … An audio book is a recording of texts being read aloud and has become more popular since the advent of the CD.  In the 1980s the audio book medium began to attract the attention of major book retailers and has gained a considerable amount of popularity.  Audio books are sometimes purchased as fully dramatized versions of a printed book, which may occasionally calling upon a complete cast, with background music, and sound effects. 

Audio books on CD's are typically more expensive than hardback books because of the added expense of recording.  However, downloadable audio books tend to cost slightly less than hardbacks but more than their paperback equivalents.

Now that you’ve learned more than you really need to know about books in general, keep in mind that books will further your entertainment pleasure by leaps an’ bounds, not to mention the possibility of increasing your overall knowledge, which is  just another cheap form of enjoyment.            

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press  

http://www.ancientscripts.com/phoenician.html ... http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/457154/Phoenician-alphabet#ref100723 http://www.designhistory.org/books.html ...