Here's why:
* Before the printing press: Books were painstakingly copied by hand, a slow and expensive process. This meant books were rare and only accessible to the wealthy.
* The printing press (invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century): This revolutionary invention allowed for the mass production of books. It used movable type, which could be arranged and rearranged to create different words and pages. This significantly sped up the printing process, reduced the cost of production, and made books available to a wider audience.
The printing press was a major turning point in history, making knowledge more accessible and fostering the spread of literacy and ideas.