A History of Reading and Writing: In the Western World

This volume surveys the changing relationships enjoyed by men and women with the written word, from early times to the present day. In this volume, the author provides an account of the social history of reading and writing, relating it to key historical moments such as the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Enlightenment. Offering a history centered on the reactions and experiences of ordinary readers and writers, the author deals with key turning points that occurred throughout the centuries, such as the invention of the codex, the transition from scribal to print culture, the reading revolution and the industrialization of the book. Tracing the major historical developments across Europe and North America which revolutionized our relationship with texts, this book provides an overview of the history of scribal and print culture.