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Past, Present, And Future
PublicAffairs
November 2009
On Sale: October 27, 2009
240 pages
ISBN: 1586488260
EAN: 9781586488260
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
The invention of writing was one of the most important
technological, cultural, and sociological breakthroughs in
human history. With the printed book, information and ideas
could disseminate more widely and effectively than ever
before—and in some cases, affect and redirect the sway of
history. Today, nearly one million books are published each
year. But is the era of the book as we know it—a codex of
bound pages—coming to an end? And if it is, should we
celebrate its demise and the creation of a democratic
digital future, or mourn an irreplaceable loss? The digital
age is revolutionizing the information landscape. Already,
more books have been scanned and digitized than were housed
in the great library in Alexandria, making available
millions of texts for a curious reader at the click of a
button, and electronic book sales are growing exponentially.
Will this revolution in the delivery of information and
entertainment make for more transparent and far-reaching
dissemination or create a monopolistic stranglehold? In The
Case for Books, Robert Darnton, an intellectual pioneer in
the field of the history of the book and director of Harvard
University's Library, offers an in-depth examination of the
book from its earliest beginnings to its shifting role today
in popular culture, commerce, and the academy. As an author,
editorial advisor, and publishing entrepreneur, Darnton is a
unique authority on the life and role of the book in
society. This book is a wise work of scholarship—one that
requires readers to carefully consider how the digital
revolution will broadly affect the marketplace of ideas.
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