I once saw a futuristic movie about a little girl who finds a book, “a real book,” she gasps, “made out of paper.” In the future world of this movie, all books had been confiscated from homes and libraries and were converted into electronic files. The books could still be read, but not held. To me, this was more of a horror movie than science fiction! Part of my love of books comes from feeling the paper and hearing the rustle of the pages as they are turned. With the increasing use of the Internet and talks of a “paperless society,” perhaps paper will someday become a thing of the past. So for now, I will appreciate every piece of paper that I can get my hands on, and hope that it won’t simply become a page, er, file in history.
According to history books, the earliest paper used in books produced in the United States was handmade and imported from Europe, mainly England. Although the first American paper mill was built around 1690 in Germantown, Pennsylvania, most of the paper used in the U.S. was still imported from Europe until the American Revolution. A year after the Stamp Act of 1765 was passed, wire papermaking molds were first made, and paper-making in this country finally got its “official” start.
The handmade paper used in the 17th and 18th centuries can be distinguished from paper that was made later by holding the paper up to a light and looking for "chain-lines" which are left from the wires in the paper mold. With this method, fewer fibers accumulate directly on the wire, so the paper is slightly thinner and more transparent to light. This pattern is usually very apparent and appears as lines that run about an inch apart, with several horizontal short lines connecting the long wire lines. Some modern paper has artificially-applied chain lines, and is usually referred to as "laid" paper, which is the name given to handmade chain-line paper.
The handmade chain-line paper was made of cotton and/or linen rags, which were soaked in liquid until the fibers broke down into bits.
Books today are everywhere. We find them in many households, libraries and schools all around the globe. We find many different types of books; from stories to educational textbooks, we regard them today as sources of knowledge and amusement. But it wasn’t the case before 1455. That year, one of the greatest inventions in human history was revealed to the world; Gutenberg’s printing press. This press allowed printing in massive quantity, spreading books all around Europe and the rest of the world at a fast rate. The printing press had many positive consequences on society. At first, it standardized grammar and spelling, and then introduced the mass production of books. It finally inspired future printing technologies around the world.
At an age when my friends’ floors were strewn with toys, dirty clothes, or video-game cartridges, mine was smothered in paper of all sorts — books, magazines, reams of white and college-ruled, paper bags, paper airplanes. This pattern has survived, and it is representative of the way I live. The house of my life is built on a foundation of paper.
In addition, textbooks are heavy to carry around and it takes longer to find a page. Likewise with digital textbooks they are compatible with tablets, smartphones, and laptops; it’s much easier to carry around and affordable price. However, some people may argue that digital textbooks can be a distraction for people because they would not bother read anymore. The author and poet Dana Gioia argues that electronics alternatives may be a bad influence that will lead society to not read anymore. Gioia complicates matters further when she writes, “While no single activity is responsible for the decline in reading, the cumulative presence and availability of electronic alternatives increasingly have drawn Americans away from reading” (161). I think Gioia is mistaken because she overlooks on electronics being a bad influence; but doesn’t see the benefits of electronics. To demonstrate, most of my textbooks are digital, which I can easily carry my tablet around where ever I go. Also, I save more money on digital textbooks and are simple to annotated the text. Journalist Ellen Lee interview a student from Liberty University, and he states that he prefers digital textbooks because he can tap his iPad, opens the digital copy and quickly open the page. Nevertheless, he also like digital textbooks because it has a feature that allows to highlight and mark the
In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, the traditional Ibo tribe is a very effective and lasting culture. They are the first to introduce many systems and traditions that we still use in society today. One of the major things the Ibo tribe introduces is the judial system, respect during conversation, hospitality, strength and masculinity. In Things Fall Apart, the author wants us to understand the Ibo tribe and feel sympathy for them, including Okonkwo.
Without restraint, Ray Bradbury creates a world where books are illegal and any activity that does not consist of some electronic device is unthinkable, and henceforth made illegal. The rare binded paper is a thing in which if found in company of one you and your home and possibly your family will be burned to death, as well as
Many professors are teaching students the basics of academics. Many students do not speak and write like professors. Students have their own primary discourse. Students primary or native discourse is the first discourse students learn. Students are usually advanced in their native discourse, but they struggle when they have to learn the dominant discourse. Students struggle learning the dominant language, because they have to learn all the rules that come along with the discourse. In addition, some students believe learning the dominant discourse mean they are giving up or neglecting their native discourse. However, learning more than one discourse does not mean students have to leave one behind. Therefore, professors should teach college students multiple discourses, so they can evolve as writers.
Compare the surface appearance of fabrics made of carded yarns vs. fabrics made of combed yarns:
“The first patent for a bent wire paper clip was awarded in the United States to Samuel B. Fay, in 1867. The clip was intended to just attach tickets to fabric, but soon discovered that it can attach papers together.” “The most modern paperclip was invented and patented by William D. Middlebrook in 1899. William didn’t just invent the paperclip, he also invented the machine that makes them.” Mr. Middlebrook’s patent was bought by a manufacturing company,
The printer was created by Gutenberg in 1450. Before this, however, Gutenberg was in financial trouble. He had lost a lot of money by investing in creating items for an exhibit that presented religious artifacts but before he could sell anything, the exhibit was closed. In order to keep the investors happy Gutenberg supposedly unveiled th...
Likewise, the paper should be thick enough to stand up to the water that ...
“While it is true that more books are sold today than ever, recent statistics show that only about 15% of books bought today are read. Evidently, they are of more use as furniture—coffee-table books—than as a source of information or aesthetic buzz. The statistics continue; of those that are read, less than 20% are read all the way through. The unfinished book symbolizes the state of attention spans today”. Eric McLuhan opens up his 2010 argument against technology with this quote. He seems to believe that literacy is only fully achieved through limited technology and hard copies of books. He fails to realize there is more to literacy that picking up a book defined as a ‘classic’ and reading it cover to cover. Literacy covers all spans of artistic
Paper in 20th-century civilization, is one of our most important industrial products. Books, magazines, and newspapers are printed on paper. Data from computers are usually printed on paper. Education, government and industry could not operate without printing and writing on paper. Paperboard (used in packaging), and absorbent papers (tissue and towelling) are other widely used paper products.
...y discardable, but has an advantage of changing font size and page brightness. With this exception, print books are going to survive. To quote British actor and writer Stephen Fry, "Kindles are no more likely to replace books than escalators are going to replace stairs“ (9). Works cited: Fry, Stephen. The Fry Chronicles: An Autobiography. New York: Overlook Press, 2012. Print. Polanka, Sue, ed. No Shelf Required 2: Use and Management of Electronic Books. Chicago: American Library Association, 2012 Pratchett, Terry and Stephen Baxter. The Long War. London: Haper Voyager, 2013. Print.
Some years ago, with the arrival of digital technology, the process of reading has been changed to make it easier for everybody; therefore digital books are replacing the actual physical books. In spite of the fact that paper books and digital books are very similar in some ways, such as tittle pages, copyright page, covers, chapters or tables of contents; they present a visual and a sensory difference. In fact, they have a similar action that gives benefits but drawbacks at the same time. Paper books are tangible, accomplishment, easy to share; they have a unique aroma, and a sensitive side. But people should take in consideration that digital books are the better choice, because they are portable, convenient, cheap in price, and easy to manipulate, not to mention that anybody is able to have an bunch of them in only one file, either their phones or
...igitization.” This does not necessarily imply that printed books will altogether disappear, but that their appearance, usage and milieu will be repurposed. Therefore, it is only rational for stakeholders such as academicians, authors and publishers to envision the future of printed books in the digital age, so as to better anticipate the changes that are, without a doubt, destined to occur.