Masters of the Word

William J. Bernstein, the acclaimed author of A Splendid Exchange, explores the history of the development of media in his latest book. Bernstein begins in Mesopotamia with the invention of writing. The world's ancient empires were founded on this groundbreaking instrument. When Phoenician traders brought their alphabet to Greece, literacy exploded. This proliferation of literacy spawned theater and democracy. Religious discontent was sparked by vernacular bibles—cheaper paper and Gutenberg's printing press made printed books affordable to a wider audience—and because of this cheap access to books, the Reformation was ignited. As new communication technologies became more accessible, individuals consolidated power in the hands of those who owned radio and television stations and major newspapers.