1001 Space Earth Nature History First Civilisations Ancient Egypt Biblical Times Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Chinese, Japanese Civilisations Indian Civilisation African Civilisation The Early Americas The Rise of Islam The Middle Ages The Renaissance Civil War and Revolution The Industrial Revolution Two World Wars 20th-century Achievements Human World Science and Technology	Why were printed books so important? Printed books spread the new ideas of the time to ordinary people, and gave scholars access to books not previously available.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: History Chapter: The Renaissance