Abstract
This industry can be dated back to the introduction of the format used for modern books (the codex: block of wood, book)1 around the first century2: a bound book with pages. The codex gradually replaced the scroll (roll of papyrus, parchment or paper). This new format/technology allowed random access, whereas scrolls could only be accessed sequentially. This is considered as the most important ‘technological change’ before the invention of printing,3 after the invention of writing as a cognitive technology (Goody, 1977).
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© 2014 Giuditta De Prato
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De Prato, G. (2014). The Book Publishing Industry. In: De Prato, G., Sanz, E., Simon, J.P. (eds) Digital Media Worlds. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137344250_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137344250_6
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-46599-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-34425-0
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