Why do large companies get certain books banned in the USA?

Question

It appears that any newly published book that might challenge the status quo of corporate-government collusion is essentially banned from being presented in the media or public library system. One such book is Nobody's Perfect; A Critique of Modern American Society, by R. Glukstad. What can the average reader do to rectify this situation?

Answer 1

The average reader probably isn't interested. It is your more inquisitive minds that will search out the knowledge that they seek.

Answer 2

I'm not sure where you get the idea that this book is unavailable or that there is some big conspiracy between the government and business to keep it out of reach. The book is easily obtained from Barnes and Noble or Books A Million (it is listed on their website and you can have your local store order it).

And, from looking at the information on the book I can certainly see why no library would order it. Not because of the content or any ban (official or unofficial) but simply because it is a self-published book. The publisher is iUniverse a self-publishing house where you pay to have your book published. Self-publishing houses very rarely do promotional work (or if they do it isn't very good promotional work) and so it requires the author to promote the book. Plus self-published works are in generally of a lower quality than traditional publishing houses. No library is going to automatically buy a work like that, perhaps if patrons request it, but usually only if it becomes popular or thereafter gets picked up by major publishers (The Christmas Box and Eragon are examples of books that were self-published that had great success but such situations are very rare).

As for what the average reader can do:
Buy the book
Request that the library order it
Talk it up with your friends/family etc.
Maybe it will then gain the notice a garner the attention you seem to think it deserves.

There were approximately 172,000 new titles published in the US alone in 2005 and that number usually increases each year; the publishing industry is a tough competition and self-published books have it harder.

Answer 3

Because part of that "strong faith" is the desire to control what other people read, as a method of controlling thought. What they don't understand is if your child is capable of being influenced by what he reads or watches on TV, you're not doing your job as a parent. Banning books is a great way to displace blame for poor parenting. One thing that banning books does well: It turns books into best-sellers. Once word gets out the religious community wants to ban a book, people are going to line up to read it and find out what all the fuss is about. Religions that want to ban any book are an author's best friend. They also forget there are those of us -- myself included -- who find the bible to be pornographic and offensive. I could easily start a movement to get the bible banned from public readings outside of churches. But I would never do that because I believe in freedom of speech. For everyone, not just folks I agree with. Censorship is a sword which can cut both ways.

Answer 4

The book is "published" by Iuniverse, a vanity press. This means that the only way the book was published was that the author (you) paid to get it published. If you are talking about large companies like B&N and Borders, they are not banning your book. They are choosing not to sell it in their stores because self-published books are notoriously poor sellers and most cannot be returned for credit like the books published by mainstream publishers can. Also most self-published books are more expensive and have a lower profit margin. It's not banning, it's good business sense. Finally, a lot of booksellers get tired of being duped by having the author or his friends order a bunch of copies of his book and then not pick them up so that they sit on the shelves gathering dust. If you want your book to be sold in mainstream stores, shop it around to a reputable publisher.
;) Channa

Answer 5

If this book is self published, you are mistaken in believing that the book has been banned by libraries. That is one of the problems with self publishing. All the promotion for the book is on the author's shoulders. He or she must contact every library they want to have it included in and ask the library to stock it. The same with bookstores. It is a long, difficult and expensive process to get self published books in bookstores and libraries. It can cost you fortune in printing and stamps alone. That is one of the reasons self publishing is a very poor substitute for the genuine article. The average reader can't = and shouldn't = do anything to recitify this situation. This is the writer's problem for choosing self publishing. He or she may even have to purchase copies to send to influential people in the library system for free to try and get them to place it in their libraries. The author may even need to make appoints and travel a great deal to speak with influential people. Self publishing is a financial black hole. It has nothing to do with large companies or the government - honestly they could care less what is published about them. Books that are critical to the government and big business get published traditionally every single day in a country where we have free press. 'The problem lies in the method in which it was published. Self publishing was a huge mistake. Pax - C

Answer 6

As an ex- librarian who used to select books for several pulblc libraries, I can say that there is no censorship. I can also say that we went out of our way to buy books requested by our patrons.

As several above note, self-published book are poorly promoted, and so often don't get brought to our attention.

Answer 7

Obviously they don't and its absurd to suggest they do.

Since the book you reference WAS published you contradict the premise of your question by your own recitation of facts.

Simply being ignoring idiotic tripe is not the same thing as banning it.

Answer 8

No one bans books anymore. It's illegal and against the U.S. Constitution. However, no one has to publish or sell anyone's book if they don't want to. O.J.'s book was canceled recently, for example, but it wasn't "banned."