Reading used to be considered a privilege that not too many people knew and could afford. Different types of books were handwritten, which took too much time and effort. This is why only a privileged few could afford to read and own them. 

Things started to change from 1440 when a German inventor named Johannes Gutenberg introduced his printing press to the world. The progress started slow, but soon enough, reading became mainstream and available to almost anybody. 

The following historic ...