JOHANN GUTENBERG THE MAN AND HIS STORY

Johann Gutenberg the man responsible for introducing printing press in Europe.

The man

Johann Gutenberg a German craftsman and inventor was born in Mainz in around 1398 A.D. in the aristocratic Gensfleisch family; the part owner of the Mainz mint that produced official coins, medals and jewellery for the city.  As a young man Johann trained as a gold smith, metal worker and gem cutter. There was a custom to take the name of one’s house as one’s surname, he lived in a house named Hof zum Gutenberg, so the young Johann began using Gutenberg as his surname. Even though Gutenberg is wrongly credited as the father of printing press, as he did not invent the printing press or the printing ink or even the movable type, but he did built on the work of others, starting with the existing tools and devices, which he modified, refined and perfected.   

The idea

Before Gutenberg’s printing press, the scribes used quill pen to copy a text word for word on a piece of stiff parchment, which led books to be rare and expensive. Gutenberg while working at the mint stuck an idea, producing books mechanically that would allow multiple copies of a book to be printed at the same time instead of being hand copied one by one.

The Strasburg years

Due to problems between the patrician and the guild Gutenberg was forced out of Mainz. In 1430’s he resurfaced in Strasburg, France. In that period, devotional object’s market was flourishing, so he set up a workshop and worked on three projects. Two out of them were public knowledge, one was a new method of polishing precious stone, the second, a way to manufacture holy mirror, for the pilgrims of Aachen, as well as wood cuts and gems depicting saints. The third project, a printing press, was not known to public. Money ran out so he took on three partners – Andreas Dritzehn, Hans Riff and Andreas Heliman who invested on his projects. In 1939, after the death of Andreas Dritzehn he faced lawsuits from Dritzehn’s brothers claiming a share of the partnership of printing press. As during the case, rumours of Gutenberg’s secretly working on a printing press were prevalent, a local carpenter confessed to have assisted on the building of a wooden press, and a gold smith announced that Gutenberg had bought large amount of printing material. Nevertheless, he managed to avoid giving testimony. 

The breakthrough in Mainz

In 1446 A.D. he returned to Mainz and found financial backing from Johann Fust who loaned eight hundred guilders, which allowed him to go ahead with his project. Along with his assistant Peter Schoffer Gutenberg worked on the types, as he wanted the letter type to be perfectly flat and all type to be absolutely regular. Breakthrough came with a brilliant idea; he broke up the text in constituent parts, letters, punctuation marks, and frequent combinations known as ligatures. These were then combined to form the block for printing words, lines and pages. The characters were cast in new combination time and again. In 1952-53 Gutenberg along with Peter Schoffer began printing, workers operated two or three presses at one time, while compositors prepared the type and labourers hung the printed sheet to dry. He first printed works were official documents, papal decrees, a Latin grammar school book Ars Minor, by Aelieus Donatus.

The process

On the end of the metal rod a mirror image of the letter is engraved. This is then pushed into a soften cooper producing a pit in the shape of the letter. This matrix acts as a mould for the actual type which is cast from lead, in order to manufacture the many letters needed quickly and in required quantity. Gutenberg also made the hand casting instrument. This instrument consists of a rectangular channel, in which the matrix is inserted at one end and molten lead poured onto another. When the instrument is opened the letter cast in lead is ready to be used. As the matrix is reusable an unlimited number of identical letters could be cast. The type setters combine the letters into lines, in the form of the page layout as desired. The form is then inked in printers ink; Gutenberg used a mixture of lamp black varnish and egg white. He used special press for printing, but derived the principal from the traditional wine press. Finally, the illuminators add coloured initials and drawings. For his mammoth work, sometimes also attributed to Fust and Schoffer, the 42 line Latin Bible, he cast more than hundred thousand pieces of type for first edition of 180 copies. The text was printed in black letter or gothic type based on the handwriting of that time.      

The final years

Although Fust had loaned him additional eight hundred guilder, disaster struck as Fust took him to court on the non payment of money. The court decided in Fust favour and allowed Gutenberg to keep only a single set of metal type. Gutenberg was effectively bankrupt, but found some solace in his final years when the Archbishop granted him the title of Hofmann which produced a salary and some privileges for service rendered. He kept working there till his death on February 3, 1468 A.D., and was buried in the church of the Franciscan convent.

BOOK REVIEW: The Talent Sutra, an Indian Approach to Learning by Devdutt Pattanaik.

Book: The Talent Sutra, an Indian Approach to Learning.

Author: Devdutt Pattanaik.

Language: Englsih.

First published: Aleph Book Company in India in 2016.

Page: 126

Price: Rs. 399/-

Devdutt Pattanaik’s book focuses on sutras (the word or concept) relating to creativity in the work place, nurture talent and the importance of teamwork. Although these sutras are Indian in origin, but are very much applicable for the business world, as they withdraw attention from profit, and concentrate on humanity.

The author says our identity; how we see the world, and how we imagine our self. This interpretation of identity and world view leads to imagination; which keeps changing. The fluttering imagination leads to fear as we constantly seek an endorsement of our identity; and adores those who see us as we imagine our self. But, nature refuses to abide by that, as it does not differentiate between a doorman and a president. So, in order to transform we need to stop, clinging to or to control our imagination, and let knowledge; Saravati, flow so that we rise from tamas through rajas towards sattva. And, for that to happen smriti; external voice, must became shruti; inner voice. Pattanaik says we can appreciate the gaze; discovering our potential within and finding resources everywhere, by exploring isolation, reflection, expansion and inclusion which he explains by the use of stories from Hindu mythology, Buddhist and Jain folklore.

In Isolation author states, we want to be seen by others, but fail to see others our self. In Mahabharata, Duryodhan is seen as the villain but take note that Duryodhan feels unloved, the market is a frightening place, we are afraid of being cheated and exploited. Kaikey, in Ramayan, is unable to see kubija and only hears Manthra’s words. The market is full of kubija which makes employees insecure, and the only way to have a secure job is to be loyal by poisoning their ears against others. A cruel gaze focuses on our compliance rather than our capability, in Ramayan, Hanuman answers his mother, Anjani, that no one asked, when she questioned why didn’t he finish the war with a single blow? In market employer needs to pay attention to the potential of employees. We refuse to see our self as villains, Indira is always in need of Krishna’s help, but is unwilling to part with even a tree. In the market people come to us only when they want something. We use work to get attention, like Valmiki, in Ramayan, who gets depressed when he hears Hanuman’s Ramayan. In the market we need to understand that our official work is to satisfy customer, employers, shareholders, and family and unofficially our purpose of work is to satisfy our self, feel noticed and alive. In the market leaders are consumed by their personal values and agenda, and except their followers to be excited about.    

Pattanaik’s reflection means, when we genuinely see others, we realize that they are often responding to their perception of us. After the Kurukshetra war, to settle the arguments, who the greatest warrior was, they turn to talking head, who said he only saw Vishnu’s discus severing heads and earth goddess drinking their blood. How we see others reveal who we are, in Ramayan, Ram explains to Lakshman the good deed of Shabri; giving only the sweet berries, a work place if full of Lakshman’s who are ready to judge and instruct others. Others seeing us reveal who we are, Surya, the sun god, was horrified that the woman in his home was not his wife, but her shadow, Chhaya. On knowing, that she ran away because she could not bear his celestial radiance, Surya, realized that in his story he was the victim, but in his wife’s story he was the villain. In market behaviour of people around us is a reaction to how they perceive us. Our presence impacts those around us, while we may think we are helping while the other thinks we are patronizing. In Mahabharata, king Virata of Matsya is celebrating, as his son Uttar has defeated the Kaurva army, despite being repeatedly told that his son had help, but the king doesn’t want to acknowledge the harsh truth. The ability to communicate with king with deference and dexterity is known as, Sabha chaturya, in Sanskrit. Our imagination binds us and blinds us; we get trapped and don’t see our limited gaze. 

For expansion the author says, growth happens when we make journey from being dependent to being dependable, in Ramayan, while Hanuman seeks to realize his potential, not increase his resources, and on the other hand, Ravan, believes he is perfect and only needs more resources. Growth is when we give than take, there are two cases of vastra haran; stealing clothes of milkmaids, Bhagvat Puran and Kaurva’s stripping of Draupadi, Mahabharata, involving Krishna, in both case something is being taken but the bhaav is different, in the first Krishna takes so that they outgrow their fear, and in the second, Kaurva takes to instill fear. Expansion happens when the in-significant become significant, in Mahabharata, Krishna cares for the horses by telling Arjun to shoot arrows in the ground to bring water, and keep the enemy at bay so that, Krishna have time to bathes and waters the horses, in market we must take care the office boy, canteen boy, security guard, peon and others who help run the offices. Growth happens when we include those whom we once excluded, in Mahabharata, we see the transformation in Yudhishtir, when the stepbrother is the first he gambled away is also the first to be resurrected during their exile in the forest. When we seek to uplift others growth happens. Dharma is about realizing our potential, while all creatures grow at the cost of others, humans can grow by helping the other grow as well.     

Inclusion according to the author means, it is easier to learn than to teach, it is easier to expand our mind than get others to expand their mind. Vedic scriptures divide life into four phases, brahmachari; student, householder; grihasthi, retire; vanasprasthi, and renounce the world; sanyasi. Our time in a particular job can be seen as a lifetime, where, when we get the job we are born and we die when we leave that job. But, to grow into the next job, we have to create talent from someone downstream who will replace us and make our self available to someone upstream. We seek to inherit things, not thoughts, in Mahabharata, at the end of the war Krishna advises Pandavs to ask Bhisma question as he has a lot to tell and they have a lot to learn. Discourses never transform us, in Mahabharata, Arjun loses his nerve time and again Krishna had to goad him to kill Bhisma, Drona, and Karna. In market, we like to believe that training programmes will transform people but it doesn’t. Wisdom according to Pattanaik is having the faith and patience to create an ecosystem where the mind can bloom at its own pace.

Pattanaik says that Hindu mythology warns against chasing Lakshmi; the goddess of wealth, instead make our self attractive to her affection and auspiciousness.