Summa de Arithmetica 1521

This book, "Summa de Arithmetica", was written by Francisco di Lionardo Ghaligaio, and printed using paper, ink, and bound in leather. Printing was a transformative technology that changed the very nature of information. No longer handcrafted, knowledge could be mechanically reproduced, making it more accessible, but also subject to standardization. The materials themselves—paper made from pulped rags, ink from soot and oil—were relatively common, but their combination through the printing process resulted in something revolutionary. Consider the labor involved: from the making of the paper, to the typesetting, to the operation of the printing press itself. Each step required skilled hands, but also contributed to a process that diminished the role of the scribe, an individual who had previously held all this knowledge and skill. By understanding the physical production of this book, we can appreciate how it participated in a much wider shift towards mass production and the democratization of knowledge.