Banned Books Week

I couldn't pass up this topic since I am an avid reader, especially of books which are deemed controversial and are banned by countries around the world.  Copy and paste the link below in order to see which books have been banned and by what country.  In reading the history of why books are banned, I couldn't help but to read the author's suggestion that maybe the pen is mightier than the sword.  Thankfully in this great country of ours books are not physically nor forcibly removed from access to the general public.  Conspiracy theorists may say people will get placed on a watch list for reading certain books, such as Mein Kamp or The Communist Manifesto, but, to say for the sake of argument they are right, an individual's personal freedoms of speech and expression remain intact.  Most of the books on the banned book list are familiar to me and are presently in my personal library at the apartment; however, there remain quite a few which are unfamiliar to me.  One of many goals is to not only read but also to purchase every book on the list.  Freedom of thought is still a extremely valuable right I cherish immensely, so to have the right and freedom to read extensively is a right I practice on a daily basis.  I strongly encourage each and every individual to begin pursuing the habit of reading.  There are so many benefits of doing so.  Readers make great writers, which means one has the ability to more than adequately express him- or herself.  Other benefits follow from there.  As I close in my thoughts, what book have you read lately?

http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/books/a-history-of-banned-books

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