Just to bring a little levity I'd like to bring in a couple of asides related to this thread.
First from awhile ago (1968):
"
A Piece of the Action" (Star Trek: The Original Series) - episode #46
This is actually quite cute in relation to living by a book. The Starship Enterprise is exploring space where another Federation Starship disappeared some 100 yrs prior.
When they enter orbit around a nearby earth like planet they get a message for them to come down for information about the missing starship.
Turns out that starship that disappeared had a profound affect on the people on the planet. They left behind a book entitled
"Chicago Mobs of the Twenties."
The people on the planet took the book as something divine, or as holy writ from heaven (it did come from heaven as far as they could tell), to guide their lives, customs, and culture. So the planet was controlled by a dozen Chicago style mobs & gangsters, all competing to be The Top Boss, all living by The Book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVN-qqyEY4s
And currently, a Book, Bible, waving savior, of sorts:
One 2016 Republican presidential hopeful: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Who wants to become president to apparently bring about a national spiritual revival, of the Christian Bible sort. Here he is waving The Book while speaking at the Louisiana State University. A religious event insisted upon by Jindal:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...itual-revival/