Chapter 65 of Daniel Boorstin's "The Discoverers" is titled "Transforming the book."
p. 524
'Our "volume" (from Latin volvere, to roll) was first a name for manuscripts in rolls. In early Egypt sheets to write on wre made from the papyrus reed that grew in the Nile Delta. The reed was called byblos, from the port of Byblos, where it was first found, and whence comes our "Bible" for The Book.'
Summarizing a part of p. 525
Parchment comes from Pergamum, a kingdom in which tradition says it was developed. Vellum comes from the old french 'veel', for the skin of a calf.
next paragraph on p 525
'Parchment made possible the next and greatest advance in the technology of the book before printing ... The pages ... were bound together into a "codex." The name, from Latin codesx, or caudex, for tree-trunk board, or writing tablet ...'
The whole chapter is only 9 pages long, but very much worth the read. Speaking as a fellow who always despised the study of history and never had much use for the subject or its books, this entire book is worth reading. My entire outlook on the subject of history has changed from reading this (and 1 or 2 other books). Anyways, those 9 pages are worth the attention of those who find this thread interesting.
