6.
One of these subjects was astronomy. In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus published his famous book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) which placed the Sun at the centre of the Universe. This was revolutionary at the time. Another subject was that of religion. Martin Luther published the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, and this work completely transformed the religious panorama of Europe for centuries to come.
7.
Before printing, books were hand-made and hand-written, one by one. This was a very slow and expensive process. Because of this, books were extremely expensive and rare, and they were not available to the vast majority of people. With the invention of the printing press, however, this changed. The printing process became cheaper and faster, leading to more availability of books.
8.
Many people were not able to access these books, even after the printing press was developed. For example, illiterate people (who were the vast majority of the population) could not access books, as they did not know how to read. Poor people were also unable, as they were not able to afford a book. Finally, women were often illiterate, even those who came from rich families, and thus were unable to read a book.
9.
Books and other printed matters encourage people to think. They also make people more open to take new information in and to question the beliefs that they think they have. This can be dangerous for people in power, as it might lead subjects to question whether the power should be held in this way or whether other alternatives are possible.
