A full-scale historical treatment of the advent of printing and its importance as an agent of change.

Preface; Part I. Introduction to an Elusive Transformation: 1. The unacknowledged revolution; 2. Defining the initial shift; some features of print culture; Part II. Classical and Christian Traditions Reorientated; Renaissance and Reformation Reappraised: 3. A classical revival reoriented: the two phases of the Renaissance; 4. The scriptual tradition recast: resetting the stage for the Reformation; Part III. The Book of Nature Transformed: 5. Introduction: problems of periodization; 6. Technical literature goes to press: some new trends in scientific writing and research; 7. Resetting the stage for the Copernican Revolution; 8. Sponsorship and censorship of scientific publication; Conclusion; Bibliographical index; General index.