The earliest "books" were clay tablets used by the Sumerians around 3000 BCE in Mesopotamia. They wrote using cuneiform.

In ancient Egypt, around 2400 BCE, people used papyrus scrolls — long sheets made from the papyrus plant, rolled into scrolls.

The codex — an early form of the modern book — appeared around the 1st century CE among the Romans.

Instead of scrolls, pages were stacked and bound together along one side, making them easier to use and store.

Early codices were made of parchment (animal skins) rather than papyrus.

During the Middle Ages (5th–15th centuries), monks in monasteries hand-copied books onto vellum or parchment.

These books were rare, expensive, and often richly decorated (illuminated manuscripts).

In 1440, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with movable type in Germany.

The first major book printed was the Gutenberg Bible around 1455.

This invention made books cheaper, faster to produce, and more widely available — revolutionizing education, science, and culture.

Over time, books shifted to paper (introduced to Europe from China via the Islamic world).

The industrial revolution (18th–19th centuries) further sped up book production with steam-powered presses and later offset printing.

Today, books exist in both physical and digital (e-book) forms.