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Liberty Denied: The Current Rise of Censorship in America

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This book takes a critical look at the effect of censorship on American society. "[Liberty Denied] cites many cases of the sort of local censorship that is difficult to monitor," Larry McMurtry says in the introduction. It seeks out the roots of censorship, which may be fear or cultural prejudice. What comes out of these thorough studies is a panoramic view of American culture regarding freedom of information. The author reveals the links of censorship to political control as well as moral guardianship. Above all, the book is valuable because of its clear statement of responsibility on the part of the reader, that it takes courage and tremendous energy to keep books, or even words, from being suppressed or destroyed. Furthermore, I highly recommend this book to teachers and public librarians who often see themselves as promoters and protecters of intellectual freedom, in order that they may come to know the different forms of censorship of which they are a participant. This book does not throw blame for blame's sake. It is for the sake of accountability and a democracy of ideas.