Gutenberg and Advertising: A Copy and Paste of History?

Summary: With all the discussion during the past several years about how the Internet is changing the face of everything — from the way we buy our groceries to the way our brains are wired — perhaps a look back through history at what one author suggests is a related event could provide perspective on what is happening and the impact it is having on advertising. John Man, in his book Gutenberg: How One Man Remade the World with Words, tells the story of the invention of movable type by Johann Gutenberg, an obscure 15th century German artisan, and the tremendous impact it had on society — ultimately paving the way for our modern world. It starts with four “turning-points” in the history of written communication.