Response 4: Books

          As a person who loves to read, the lecture on books really made me apreciate how simple it is to get my hands on the latest bestseller. I read books in paper form as well as electronically, and neither would be possible without Gutenberg's printing press. Not only did it make real books cheaper and more accessible, it led to the creation of the books that led to the creation of the electronics like eReaders. I cannot imagine living in a world where I didn't have constant access to my favorite novels, and before we disscussed it in class, I had never given much thought to the fact that it hadn't always been that way. Before the printing press, most people couldn't read their own language, much less own expensive, hand-copied books.

          While it's probably occurred to me in the past to be grateful for my access to books, it has definitely never occurred to me to be grateful for my own literacy. Literacy and freedom to read and write what we want are things that didn't come about until after the invention of Gutenberg's printing press, and they are almost always taken for granted. Books are a very basic and simple form of entertainment and communication, but they are a luxury.