The name "novel" comes from the production of short stories, or novellas, which were part of a European oral storytelling tradition until the late nineteenth century. The term became popular after 1820 when French novelist Bernardin de Saint-Pierre published Le Devin du village (The Shepherd of the Village) and German novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published Der Mond (The Moon). Novels have been important to humanity since its beginnings. They provide a window into other people's lives that can only be achieved through description and narrative. Also important to mankind's progress is the role novels play in the development of culture. By exposing people to different ways of thinking and living, novels help create more tolerant societies. In modern times, the novel has again become important because of two factors: the rise of mass media and the fall of the traditional author as publisher and distributor. With only a few exceptions, books are now printed in large editions by commercial publishers who sell them directly to readers or bookstores. This means that if a book is not selling well, it can be discarded without further consideration. As a result, some good books get lost while others succeed on reputation alone. The novel provides a unique solution to this problem because it can be updated or revised over time instead of being written up front in one complete version.