How Culture Changed Because of the Gutenberg Press: By having a way to quickly, and now inexpensively, reproduce the written word, an era of mass communication began. Books, which were once a symbol of wealth and status, could reach the commoner, and convey information and ideas that threatened those in power. The expansion of literature, along with eyeglasses (invented around the 12th century), increased literacy in Europe and beyond. Now, education and reading were not just for the elite class, but an emerging middle class as well. Did you know that rich Aristocrats punished servants that learned to read?

Access to the news became an expectation. One reason that Gutenberg's invention wasn't initially profitable is that there had been no established distribution network for books (since up until that point, few people could own them). Other German printers realized this and moved to Venice, as this was a central shipping hub in the late fifteenth century. Ships would leave Venice carrying literature, religious texts, and breaking news from across the (known) world. Printers in the city would sell news pamphlets to sailors, and when their ships arrived at their respective ports, riders would deliver copied pamphlets to local towns. But since literacy rates were still low, it was common for a paid reader to deliver the news aloud each day at a local pub. This marks the beginning of a major shift in our consumption of the news, as it became commonplace to check the news every day. Were you aware that the original News Readers (today's News Anchor Man) operated from the local pub?

The first best-selling author emerged. Centuries before there was the New York Times bestseller list, Martin Luther became the world's first "best-selling" author. We've all heard the story of how Martin Luther nailed his "95 Theses" to a church door in Wittenberg back in 1517. But just several weeks after that very public show of rebellion, copies were being printed in London. Luther continued to write, and developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the printing press. In his book Brand Luther, The first best-selling author emerged. Centuries before there was the New York Times bestseller list, Martin Luther became the world's first "best-selling" author. We've all heard the story of how Martin Luther nailed his "95 Theses" to a church door in Wittenberg back in 1517. Before this survey were you aware of Martin Luther?

Several weeks after that very public show of rebellion, copies were being printed in London. Luther continued to write, and developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the printing press. In his book Brand Luther, Andrew Pettegree explains how Luther recognized the untapped potential of the printing press, which until that point had been a useful but very expensive tool, used mostly by elite academics. Luther used the printing press to broadcast his message to average readers across German states, even choosing to write in German, rather than Latin. His translation of the New Testament sold 5,000 copies in only two weeks, making him the world's first best-selling author. Did you know, between 1518 and 1525, Luther's authored one third of all books sold in Germany?

The Reformation and Religious Differences: A large part of this Renaissance was the Protestant Reformation. The printing press started making copies of the Bible and it continued to fuel the spread of information. Before long, materials were produced that promoted alternative Christian teachings or questioned the church. Obviously, Martin Luther is famous for much more than becoming the first best-selling author. He's considered the father of the Reformation, a revolutionary movement that questioned papal authority and the power of the Catholic Church. Prior to the printing press, such a revolution would have been much easier to quell, often as simple as killing the perceived troublemaker and destroying their notebooks. But now that new ideas could be printed and distributed quickly and easily, new ideas were much harder to contain. Are you surprised that, like today, the more controversial a book is, the more people want to read it?

With such a vast increase in access to information, people placed more importance on education. Communication was improved, and reading became a popular pastime. This sparked a scientific and cultural revolution. Print has changed the world in this instance, as a Renaissance movement flourished. Mass produced books stimulated the growth of colleges and the success of writers. From there, a world of knowledge has expanded. Can you imagine life without books? Newspapers? Magazines? The ability to own a copy of your own religious text, regardless of what faith you may follow? Even simple, printed newsletters or brochures? We would still be in the dark. Can you image a world without any printed materials?