A closer look

The publishing industry didn't democratize reading out of the goodness of their hearts; they did it for military logistics. During World War II, the military needed a way to ship massive amounts of reading material to bored troops without taking up precious cargo weight. They invented the 'Armed Services Editions,' specifically sizing the cheap, flimsy paperbacks so they would perfectly fit into the pockets of military uniforms. The modern paperback is literally a wartime utility.