Brief History of Books
This is the oldest mass media form. Books set the pace for development of mass communication channels. Attempts at the use of writings to communicate could be traced to pictographs (using pictures to communicate), ideographs (use of symbols to communicate ideas), phonographs (use of symbols to represent spoken sounds) and the development of alphabets and paper. The story of books dates back to funerary writings in Egyptian tombs, among other developments. The first well-known book form called “The Book of the Dead” was a form of funerary writing published in Egypt around 1350 BC. This was around the same time when the earliest form of writing known as hieroglyphics (use of signs, symbols and illustrations drawn on a surface to communicate) was invented.
The Book of the Dead was mostly written in hieroglyphics. It was called Book of the Dead because it contained information, (basically magic spells, formulas, passwords, codes and clues), which was to be read by the deceased with a view to guiding them during their journey into the underworld. The book which was commissioned by the dead before their death, was meant to help them navigate their way through obstacles in their journey to achieve a happy life in the great beyond. The book first appeared in Egyptian tombs around 1600BC. It was written on papyrus which was one of the earliest forms of writing surface (made in Egypt, from strips from a plant turned into a flat and polished surface fit for writing).
Ancient Egyptians contributed greatly to the development of writing, language, writing surface, and books. Subsequently, the Phoenicians who were ancient sea traders, came up with inventions which spread across the Mediterranean and were used in the development of modern alphabets in Greece. Other contributors to book development include the Chinese and Romans whose inventions modified the achievement of ancient Egyptians, eventually ushering in modern day writing and books.
At the time books were being experimented upon by ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Romans, book was not truly a mass medium because they were limited in circulation and only a few rich people could afford the existing copies. But with the invention of the movable type in 1450 by Johann Gutenberg, the printing press gradually developed and books became common as mass communication channels. Some years after Gutenberg had published his first book, the Bible (which became famously known as Gutenberg Bible) around 1453, use of printing press became popularized with many printing presses existing alongside that of Gutenberg. Mass production of books became possible. Gutenberg’s inventions continued to metamorphose into the sophistication associated with the printing industry today. Books in the modern world are published with relative ease and efficiency, constituting mass media organs of high reckoning in any society. Technological strides in information and communication have ushered in electronic books (e-books) which are books published online to be accessed on the Internet. These are either digital versions of books which also have hard copies or web-only books, that is, books that can only be read online, particularly on specific websites.
Definition
A book is any published work containing written matter or composition printed on pages bound or fastened together with an outer or protective covering as its cover. It could contain words, sentences, pictures, illustrations or a combination of all. However, this definition of books has been altered by technological strides that have introduced electronic books or web-only books.
Books could be fictional (about non-existent events and characters), or non-fictional (about real-life events and people). They could also be educational or general books. Books impacted greatly in the development of communication as they allowed ideas to spread, encouraged the standardization of language and spelling, and created mass culture. Books opened the door for other organs of mass communication to emerge.
Basic Features of Books
Books (hard copies) are basically characterized by the following features which differentiate them from other media;
(i) They are fastened together or bound; they have a cover or outer covering (thick or paperback).
(ii) They contain printed words, pictures, illustrations or a combination of all, which are published as part of the book.
(iii) They are the oldest and most enduring of the mass media. The print media are generally more durable than the broadcast media. But as Dominick (2009, p. 137) writes, “people throw away newspapers and magazines shortly after reading them but most save their books.”
(iv) They do not have the reach of other mass media. As Dominick (2002) writes, books are the least “mass” of the mass media. Newspapers, magazines and the broadcast media often have wider audience and reach than books.
(v) Unlike other print media which basically report news and topical issues or happenings, books generally contemporary issues, educational and professional writings which are not as current as the content of other mass media. Books rarely contain news reports.
