The book publishing industry is one of the most prominent facilitators of human communication. It’s responsible for sharing important information and the stories you’ve grown to love.

Today, the book publishing market is a multi-billion dollar industry, capable of sharing the written or spoken word across the globe—but this hasn’t always been the case. Over the course of centuries, the publishing industry has undergone a number of pivotal events and innovations that have redefined the way that we consume information in all of its forms.

These are the five innovations that shaped the book publishing industry into what it is today, changing the way we read and learn.