Books
Fiction Books, Children’s Books, Etc.
Books are a favorite pastime for many people, and even in an age with many other forms of entertainment, the demand for books is strong. Whether you are looking for fiction books or nonfiction books, adult books or children's books, print books or audio books, there are countless suppliers ready to provide you with the books you need. Let’s take a look at the history of books and the various kinds of books available.
People have written for thousands of years, and they’ve stored their writing in various forms: scrolls, papyrus, or clay tablets, for example. Bound books seem to have gained popularity in the early Middle Ages, and a few centuries later, Arab scribes begin using paper to make books. When the printing press was invented in Renaissance Europe, the scene was set for an explosion in both reading and writing. As time passed, the price paid for books became more affordable to the masses, allowing the books once available only to the wealthy to be read by all. In the past, as now, books served a variety of purposes: there were fiction books, instruction books, science books, textbooks, etc.
Books can be classified in many ways. Perhaps the simplest is the distinction between fiction books and nonfiction books. Fiction books such as novels tell invented stories. Novels have diversified and can be classed in many genres: mainstream, mystery, science fiction, and so on. They can also be distinguished as adult books, children’s books, or books for young adults. For many kids books are as enjoyable as video games, disproving earlier predictions that books would go extinct when these were invented. Nonfiction books cover everything else, such as biographies and how-to manuals. A fiction book, therefore, might contain a story of sailors adventuring on the deep sea, while nonfiction books may instruct readers on the best kinds of fishing lures or provide information on fishing charters.
As we have seen, books have evolved. They continue to do so. Mail-order book clubs entice new members with free books and discount prices for books. In the twentieth century, new technology allowed the creation of audio books, and more recently, electronic books have hit the marketplace.
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