From the Introduction

Rarely has fame ever been so well placed as that which surrounds the Gutenberg Bible. This noble book, which appeared about 1455, has long been taken to represent the invention of printing in the western world. In that role, it symbolizes one of the small handful of the greatest human accomplishments of all time. It can be combined along with such great ancient achievements as the steam engine and the use of electricity. Sometimes the importance of an invention—or of any human act—lies in what it leads to. It can truly be said that the invention of printing from movable metal type, in Germany in the middle of the fifteenth century, led to a radical change in the whole world of the intellect. It is this great invention that we are considering through the symbol of a single book, the Gutenberg Bible. Let us first take a look at the consequences of this invention from the perspectives of people living in Europe in the middle of the fifteenth century.