The Gutenberg press was invented by Johann Gutenberg, a German goldsmith; this printing press can be regarded as one of the significant inventions in the history of mankind. This printing press was invented in 1448; this made it possible for the common people to have access to books. Thus, they could access a lot of information, and knowledge that could be found in books. Before the invention of the printing press, most of the books used to copied, as well as written using hand. Blok printing became a popular phenomenon during the invention of the printing press. Block printing entailed carrying carving each page in the text into a block made of wood. The process involved in doing these carvings used to be labor intensive, thus prompting the invention of the Gutenberg printing press (Burke & Ornstein, 1997).
It is worth noting that the Gutenberg press can be considered to have been a technological revolution. The invention of the press led to the emergence of written records, which governments and businesses could rely on in accessing information. The invention of the Gutenberg press also transformed the printing of books during the period of its invention. The printing of books underwent significant changes when the Gutenberg press was invented. The technological revolution that came forth with the invention of the printing press also encompassed easy printing of bibles. As a result of the Gutenberg press, there was massive printing of bibles in Latin, which spread throughout Europe. This was a form of technological revolution that led to the printing of the first bibles to be ever printed. There were many bibles printed after the invention of the Gutenberg press (Childress, 2008).
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Some of the elements of the Gutenberg press that could be regarded as revolutionary included enhancement of people’s literacy; the printing of books enabled lay people to become literate. Academics also improved with the invention of the printing press; the new technology ensured that texts could not be corrupted through hand copying. There was also some remarkable progress in science, as well as critical scholarship. The invention of the Gutenberg press also resulted to lower costs of books, as there were large volumes of books and printed materials produced during this time (Childress, 2008). Another revolutionary element of the Gutenberg press also ensured that many people could access information. Knowledge could also be preserved and disseminated in a standardized manner; this contributed to technological and scientific advancement. There was also revolution of information when the Gutenberg press was invented; new ideas spread quickly to many parts (Burke & Ornstein, 1997).
Europe witnessed a lot of changes as a result of the printing press invention; as a result of this invention, people could spread their own personal beliefs. For example, Martin Luther used the printing press to spread his beliefs about religion and inform many people around the world. The numerous religious rebellions led by Martin Luther can be attributed to the invention of the printing press. Other changes witnessed in Europe resulting from the printing press invention also enabled the printing of texts using movable blocks, which consisted of graphics and letters. The invention of the printing press also enabled faster printing of books with the use of a press, ink, as well as paper (Childress, 2008).
The implications of the new technology also encompassed the spread of new philosophies such as humanism, which was spread by scholars of the Renaissance commonly referred as humanists. Before the invention of the Gutenberg Press, Europe was mainly guided by the church and bible teachings. The invention of the Gutenberg press also led to the interpretation of the texts into various languages such as Greek. Another way in which the Gutenberg printing press changed the lives of people in Europe is that it led to high demand for books. The high demand for books emanated from the large volume of books printed as a result of the printing press invention. The variety of books printed after the invention of the printing press also led to the high demand for books (Childress, 2008).
Another implication that the printing press had was that it led to the printing of secular books. Scientists in Europe benefitted a lot from the invention of the printing press since they found it easy to share information with one another. This enhanced advancement of knowledge in Europe in the following 50-100 years since the printing press was invented. The birth of Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution borrowed a lot from the printing press; this led to radical changes on how the people of Europe perceived the world. The years following the printing press invention also saw the transfer of the mandate to copy books from the church to other parties. The church found it hard to exercise control over the information written in the books (Burke & Ornstein, 1997).
In conclusion, the printing press intervention acted as one of the most crucial inventions in history. The Gutenberg printing press brought significant changes in the field of printing as it contributed to the fast printing of books. The Gutenberg press also led to the spread of knowledge in most parts of Europe and all over the world. Public opinion in Europe was largely influenced by the invention of the printing press. There were large volumes of books printed in Europe, and this led to a considerable decrease in the price of books.