This reading was very interesting to me as I am a history major
and a writing minor so this was touching on both my interests. These chapters
looked back at the history of writing and showed how it has evolved and grown
into what it is today. I particularly like the first part of this reading, when
the author, Nicole Howard, is explaining how far authorship has come since its
inception. At that time being an author wasn't something your were supposed to
broadcast or make known. Today, we look at authors and give them a celebrity
status and praise them for their ability to write or craft a novel. This
drastic change was fascinating to me; this shift shows just how much we have
grown to respect authors and understand how hard what they do is.
These chapters also showed how the price of
books has changed over the years. It used to be based on how many resources
were used to produce it. This meant that books would be very expensive and hard
to come by unless you had that kind of money. Looking at today and how people
get mad or upset if a book is $15 is crazy to think about. While books have
become more important to us they have seemingly lost their value at the same
time. Now, since it is so common to have them they are not worth as much in the
eyes of the public. Whereas if someone from the Renaissance came to our time
they would be shocked at how inexpensive our books are.
I completely agree. I think it is interesting how the shift in how we view the job of an "author" and how we treat the profession has become so different over time. It really is looked at as a talent and a skill to be able to craft a book. However, it is interesting also to note how much influence authors have on the public and society as a whole. Bring an author is one of the most important jobs out there because they have the opportunity to share with the world the most important lessons. They also have the power to influence young audiences to learn to read, and to continue reading. For example, BBC News stated that author JK Rowling (who wrote Harry Potter Series) was honored for helping boost literacy and promote a love of reading. In other words, they named her a "literacy hero" for "turning a generation of children into readers".
ReplyDeleteGreat post of the value--and price--of books.
ReplyDeleteThere were many changes that were pointed out in The Book that were surprising to me, for one I too really liked to learn about the changes of how we view authorship and how their value has changed throughout the years. Along with the prices of books which as time has gone on have lowered in order to get more books to all different types of people. We value knowledge and it should be accessible to people of all different economic statuses. You could not have a better major and minor for this class, it adds great insights! :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your insights! I agree, it is odd to think authors were not always glorified in history. Now authors of popular books almost have a celebrity level of fame and see their books go on to be movies and influence pop culture.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that though the price of books has lowered, people will still become upset over the price. I do think it is important the price was lowered so the books could reach a larger audience. Compared to what people are willing to spend on a meal or other material things, it is funny a book under $20 can be seen as ridiculous. While print books are not as popular, I do hope people still value them in the future and appreciate the role authors and printing technology has had on society.