In Their Own Words

This book considers, through the work of 21 scholars of book history and/or print-culture studies today, the impact of the work and career of Elizabeth L. Eisenstein in the field of print culture studies. Viewed by many as oracular, by others as flawed, Eisenstein's work in The Printing Press as an Agent of Change (1979) has indelibly and irrevocably shaped the way all scholars view the field. Contributors include Ann Blair, Paula McDowell, Peter Stallybrass, and Roger Chartier. The book is organized in three sections: the first treating print-culture studies in the field of early modern Europe, where Eisenstein began her career as a historian; the second addressing print culture in times and places outside early modern Europe including India, Egypt, and New Zealand; and the third section addressing the relationship between print culture, the work of Eisenstein, and new electronic media.