The article attempts to deal with the place of the book among the instruments of communication in modern society. The paperback revolution is characterized as a change in the conception of the book from cultural monument to intellectual tool. The cultural context of this change is discussed and the effect of radio and more particularly television on twentieth-century society is briefly consulted. The book, the author points out, can not only be read but unread, consulted at will as a stationary focus for the community. The book is the technological instrument that makes democracy possible, and public access to written documents the principle that keeps it functioning.
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