Have you noticed that every religion , political philosophy and lifestyle improvement is based on a book. I have been looking into this for some time and have developed a few thoughts to explain this phenomena.
There is something permanent about a book that transcends generations. This might be changing with the development of electronic recorded communication but I think it is unlikely.
The development of books and their authority goes back to the ancients. The Greeks raised the status of learning ,logic and memory to the highest level of human endeavour through the written word. The ancients also carry status simply because they are so old and therefore their wisdom has transcended the centuries increasing peoples trust in their validity.
Modern society gives the intellect a similar value. The education system is largely based on individuals ability to study and the conduit to study is overwhelmingly reading. Even the Internet puts the reading of information as the key to knowledge. Videos are becoming more popular but are often regarded as trivia compared to the written word.
I believe that books have had the greatest influence on our intellect where other means of communication like music relate more to our emotions. Whilst we reside in the cerebral where information is king the book of for that matter the Ebook will remain at the top of our trusting nature
One reason for this is that words can not be directly challenged They are still in print whether you agree with them or not They carry a gravitas that outlasts peoples lives and as long as they can be recorded they will continue to exist in the Universe.
Peter.