By Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
Prelude ..
For a compulsive writer, reading is an equally compulsive adjunct. And despite AI times we live in , for some, the rustle of paper even today seems so lyrical, mystical, magical and musical. Just the other day, one was listening to an interview with a couple of prolific authors (and podcasters too). They were ‘amused’ not anguished that most interviewers simply read the ‘reviews’ and challenged them in interviews . Even when exposed that they just had a copy of the book, they chose to brazen it out. As a writer of books, I can vouch for it. That is how well read ‘reviewers’ can be. So I intend to help out with smart reviews.
It is tough to read a book, these days, it would seem, in these attention span lacking WhatsApp university days. Skimming the surface is passé. And to write a book is harder still. And getting published, forget it.
The book publishing industry has/had Agents. They at least read it. On an average, they chose 6 works a year out of 6000 they got to read. They were ruthless. They were dreaded. They were rats. They chose ‘based on which side of the Bed they woke up’ said George Orwell once.
Talking up of Beds, my first ‘’A Book a Week’ would be ‘Make Your Bed’. A perfect start any day, week, month and year. Before that, as always, my proclivity goes where it all began. I mean, Books.
Today, you can be your reader as listener. Writer. Publisher. And more. At the tip of your finger, you can get your writing moving. Thomas Friedman, the legendary New York Times columnist says, “ When I began writing, I was in the exclusive company of a few. Competition was scarce. Readers had little choice. So, I could easily survive. Today, I have to compete with eight hundred million writers or bloggers or whatever, at last count. You could get lost in the crowd. I need to be fast, furious, full of light and thunder. Not be the old, staid,stubborn, placid, pedestrian in a non-compete universe. I better be better read to write better to outlast the two minute headlines’ grabbers”. Cool, I say.
Gutenberg Press …
The history of printing is a long and complex one, but it can be said to have begun with the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century. Prior to this, books were hand-copied, a process that was slow and expensive. The printing press made it possible to produce books much more quickly and cheaply, and this led to a dramatic increase in the availability of books.
In the early days of printing, most books were religious texts or works of classical literature. However, as the technology improved and the cost of printing decreased, a wider variety of books began to be published. This included novels, histories, scientific treatises, and even cookbooks.
The spread of printing had a profound impact on society. It helped to spread literacy, promote new ideas, and fuel the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution. It also helped to create a new mass market for books, which led to the development of new genres of literature, such as the novel and the newspaper.
The printing press is one of the most important inventions in human history. It has had a profound impact on the way we communicate, learn, and think. Without the printing press, the modern world would be very different.
Book Reading-A Rage…
Gutenberg Press led to increased literacy rates. The printing press made it possible to produce books much more cheaply, which led to an increase in literacy rates. This was especially true in Europe, where the printing press was first introduced.
The printing press made it possible to spread new ideas and knowledge more widely. This was a major factor in the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, which were both periods of great intellectual and cultural change.
The printing press created a mass market for books, which led to the development of new genres of literature, such as the novel and the newspaper.
The printing press is one of the most important inventions in human history. It has had a profound impact on the way we communicate, learn, and think. Without the printing press, the modern world would be very different.
We will now get into Polls and researches on where book reading has come down to, today.
Before we get to ‘Make Your Bed’. Shall we?
( Writer is author of several books and practicing advocate in the Madras High Court)