The book is divided into three areas: historical, theoretical and technical. The first axis, history , begins by recalling what the publishing business, always essential in the digital era as it acts as intermediary between authors and readers, and allows them to make a choice among the immensity of texts available through the web. Chapter 2 shows the Internet history to the present day, by redrawing the different stages of the creation of the Internet and the Web and the different phases that he went through for us, now, to read , edit, and find information on the Internet. The third chapter looks back on the impact that digital may have in the field of research, including humanities and social sciences with the advent of digital humanities. These "are therefore a discipline in charge to reflect the technological tools that social sciences should provide [...]" and they also seek to "develop a theoretical research on what the digital itself. "

The axis theory will first stop in Chapter 4 on the origin of the word 'digital', as opposed to analog, and explains what differentiates the two recording modes documents. This chapter also discusses how digital could change our culture, with the example of Twitter , which allows instant to react in a conference, or with the GPS that changes our relationship to space. In Chapter 5, it is question of the semantic web "that enables machines to understand the meaning of data and better use," including through metadata. However, with the amount of data circulating on the web it is necessary to protect some of these data for confidentiality reasons. Chapter 6, "The economic models of digital publishing," discusses the new commercial channels appeared thanks to digital, and the difficulty of selling certain types of work as guides or general information, when the information is available on the web. Chapter 7 and more specifically scientific literature and open access that would be "the main feature of digital documents." Open Access makes it possible for researchers to access the results that could advance more easily their own work. Open access is still evolving as governments, trade associations and publishers still seeking a new equilibrium.

According to him, it all starts with the expansion of consumer markets of textiles made possible by the development of transport in the 2 th half of 18 th century, seaports, inland canals in England, royal roads in France. The importance of ports PROMOTES the development of an economy internationally. In addition, consumption is stimulated by intensification of outlets: new consumption patterns are spreading. This first fashion cotton, cheaper than wool fabrics, which incite renew more frequently wardrobes. Considerable market develops, that will be the origin of modern cotton industry. Very early (1686 in France), wool manufacturers and linen are trying to ban the import of Indian, but the ban is not respected. The printing of cotton develops in Switzerland, in Amsterdam, where Protestants fled. Legal prohibition is lifted in 1759, which promotes the development of large companies, such as Oberkampf in Jouy en Josas. The Indienneurs quickly renew patterns and colors (striped fashion at the eve of the Revolution), resulting in higher consumption.