In 1439 Johannes Gutenberg altered the course of Western Civilization when he invented the moveable-type printing press. The explosion of reading and knowledge that occurred was of seismic proportions. It fueled the Rennaisance and acted as a catalyst for the Scientific Revolution.

Revolutionizing Publishing

Today the world is experiencing a similar transformation in the technology of reading – the e-book. Handheld e-book readers have been around for over two decades, but the idea didn’t catch on until Amazon released the Kindle in 2007. Sales for the Kindle grew quickly, and in 2009 they reached a tipping point and became popular with the masses. Around the same time other e-book readers began refining their platforms and streamlining their approach. The result is an explosion in the e-book publishing industry. Perhaps the e-book industry is the single most profitable and fastest enterprise in an era plagued by recessions and bankruptcies.
 
Revolutionizing Authoring

This e-book revolution has largely leveled the playing field for independent authors and publishers. For hundreds of years, the industry had been dominated by major publishing houses. An author’s success or failure depended a great deal on whether he or she was able to catch the eye of one of the big book companies or not.   The rise of the internet and blogging has given the individual a voice and social networking allowed high-quality content to go viral. The reading industry had to adapt to this new, independent, mentality, and the rise of the e-book has opened the door wide to independent authors and self-publishers.

Revolutionizing Reading

Further, the e-book revolution is creating the same kind of effect on the masses as the printing press did in the 15^th century. More people are reading than ever before due to the convenience that an e-book reader offers. Rather than having to call around to find a bookstore that carries a particular book, drive to the store and purchase it, and carry it around in a clumsy bookbag, the consumer simply purchases the book with the click of a button and can carry an entire library on a sleek, easy-to-transport device. Now people can easily read whenever they have a few minutes: on the bus, at the doctors office, or during their lunch break.   It is no wonder that many people crack open books that they never would have before they got an e-book reader. And once they get started, they become addicted and buy more books. I believe that the rise of the e-book reader will be the single most important event in world education of the century. And it won’t cost taxpayers a dime!