Marcovitz, Hal. E-books.

Marcovitz, Hal.  E-books.  Gale/Lucent    2013  112p  ISBN 978-1-4205-0902-1  series: Technology 360  ms/hs  E-BN  Nonfiction       

The incredible advancement of computer and information technologies has led to a sea change in the publishing world.  Beginning with a timeline, this book takes the reader through the history of publishing, from Gutenberg’s first Bible printed with moveable type, through the evolution of the e-book beginning in 1971 with Project Gutenberg, to the development of OCR technology that allowed the scanning of materials into a computer, the production of e-books on floppy disks, and, eventually, the rise of numerous types of e-readers.  The author continues with a discussion of how e-books are changing the way people read, how the publishing industry has been transformed by the growth of these e-books, and what the future might hold for readers.  The book is well organized, clearly written, and enhanced by colorful photographs, fascinating sidebar information, and fact boxes that provide enlightening tidbits and career possibilities.  The use of primary source quotations from the biggest names in the computing world adds much to the narrative.  The book ends with chapter notes, a glossary, a bibliography of books, periodicals, and web sites, and an index.

Summary: The incredible advancement of computer and information technologies has led to a sea change in the publishing world. The  book takes the reader through the history of publishing from Gutenberg’s first Bible and continues with a discussion on how e-books are changing the way people read, how the publishing industry has been changed by the growth of these e-books, and what the future might hold for readers.                   

Electronic publishing                                     --Susan Ogintz