The Social Dimension of the Printed Book as a Medium

Abstract

Social practices of using printed books in the digital age are mostly based on the symbolic power of book communication. All contemporary values attributed to the printed book are built on (traditional) social practices on the one hand, as well as triggering dynamical social practices on the other hand. The following contribution covers some examples of using printed books with the aim to generate situations of follow-up communication in various social dimensions. We still can find a common agreement in western societies about the values of the book as a medium, which obviously cannot be expressed by an e-book. These values are only some of the reasons that lead to the survival of the printed book.