Chapter 4 Books Prof.
Books are the oldest commercial form of the mass media.
They have evolved from serving a highly elite audience to a form of popular culture that has spread throughout most literate societies. Issues central to book publishing have included censorship and control as well as the dilemma of publishing quality literature versus a quantity of books. Ever since the book escaped control of the monasteries in Europe and became commodities traded by merchants, the industry has operated under a profit motive. Starting as an elite medium, books flourished in paperback form as dime novels and were eventually distributed through book clubs. These efforts helped to democratize the industry.