I think the part of the textbook where they talk about the effects of the mass production of books is huge! This was really a turning point in modern history. I know Professor Schlegal said the printing press is the second biggest invention behind fire, which I think you can change to the biggest invention in modern history. As stated in the textbook the printing press lead to the growth of the middle class and the knowledge that was being able to spread that wasn’t available before. Now we know that the easy access to knowledge and education is the key to advancing as a civilization and the printing press allowed that.
The next important things books brought was a way for females to get their voices out there. Early on writing under a male name but still being able to put work out there that connected to other women. Jane Austin being a huge influence, even now I had to read ‘Jane Eyre’ in high school. I am super interested in how women thought back then and how they expressed themselves so I went on and read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ which is her most famous piece. If you haven’t read it I highly suggest, has more than just romance!, it has a strong female lead that stands up for herself and her family as well as speak out against her social status. For a woman in that time it was almost unheard of and if you did speak out you were rejected by society so having a story that could connect to them must have been huge. On top of Jane Austin you also had Mary Shelley who basically started a genre with ‘Frankenstein’. I think a lot of women gain respect through their writing and broke out against the sexist world they lived in.
My Question for the class is for then women if there was a female author you grew up reading did her writing change you as a woman? and for the guys did you have a female author you grew up reading that made you see women in a different light?
Lastly I want to bring up the trouble I and I’m sure you guys are also feeling, there are no books written for 18-24. I used to read a book a day over my summer breaks in middle and high school now I can’t even remember the last book I read cover to cover. I used to read all types of young adult books and I still have all of those books in my room, I went to go read one that I remember being my favorite and I could barely get past the first chapter. As amazing as this book was in my memory I have out grown the story and the writing, not that the author is a bad writer but it was written for a fifteen year old brain not my twenty one year old brain. I tried to get into some of my mom’s book which I call real adult books and I felt like while the writing was more my speed the story isn’t something that connects with me. Anyone have any thoughts about that?
Mass Media and American Life 
Books have definitely been used as important expressive tools in the women’s movement and to spread important messages. You can see this today with important political figures writing their own autobiographies like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In an attempt to answer your question about the lack of books being marketed to 18-24 year olds.. I see your point in YA novel sections being written for more of a high school audience. I would say to try and find some good authors (maybe some who have written books you have already read) and then go from there.
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I haven’t read Jane Austin or Jane Eyre, but I know that these authors had a lasting influence because they wrote about strong, determined female protagonist. The authors point about books that are not written for people in their late teens, while it maybe true has, had no impact on my reading. For pleasure, I read books by David Baldacci and Tom Clancy who principally write for adults. Their books are easy to understand and to read.
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