johannes gutenberg was born in mainz, germany, in 1398. today he is known as the inventor of the modern printing press. when he was young, books weren't like they are today. most books were actually manuscripts, or texts written by hand. manuscripts took a long time to make and were expensive. only rich people could afford them. gutenberg wanted more people to be able to enjoy reading. his printing press made it easier and cheaper to print books, so more people could own books. who is the primary audience?