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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

American Booksellers Association and Abigail Shrier

210 replies

lionheart · 15/07/2021 21:02

Sorry if there is already a thread--I couldn't find it.

American Booksellers Association and Abigail Shrier
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AndeanMountainCat · 16/07/2021 13:25

This reply has been deleted

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highame · 16/07/2021 13:28

😂😂😂

PilesPeaked · 16/07/2021 13:51

I see where I've been going wrong. Each of our children was given a Gospel when they started secondary. Clearly this was literal violence against us as Jews. I should have complained loudly, in the press, on Twitter, and demanded the Senior Leadership Team's decapitation (or at least resignation).

Instead I put them in the bookcase, between my Hebrew Bibles and my King James Version, which I keep because it is the language of Shakespeare and a hugely important part of British culture.

Clearly I'm some sort of scummy wuss.

PilesPeaked · 16/07/2021 13:55

Yes I can see why some booksellers wouldn't be happy to deal with Irreversible Damage

Would they also be unhappy to deal with Mein Kampf? I have a copy of that one in my Jewish home, too. Dc studied it as part of History A-level. And, unlike Shrier's book, Mein Kampf does disseminate hatred and promote violence.

Bambooshoot · 16/07/2021 14:22

Thanks for this - just bought the book!

PronounssheRa · 16/07/2021 14:28

I keep wondering how much of a privileged, pampered life someone has to lead in order to regard the sharing of this book as a serious violent incident. They have no idea what violence is.

The parallels with blasphemy laws and religion is striking.

As for ABA they have become the very thing they speak out against.

miri1985 · 16/07/2021 14:28

If there was a way to get people to buy this book, this would be it, its like a marketing masterclass. Just looked it up there on US amazon and its #39 on the chart which is amazing for a book thats been out quite a while and is a niche enough subject.

American Booksellers Association and Abigail Shrier
Sophoclesthefox · 16/07/2021 14:35

The ABA have certainly come a long way since 2017, when their theme for their “banned books week” (where they promote books with a history of being censored) was “Our Right To Read”

“What bookstores do at their best is provoke conversations and look at things outside their normal comfort zone. That’s what good books do, and what good bookstores do,” said Robert Sindelar, managing partner of Third Place Books and president of the American Booksellers Association Board of Directors.

Third Place Books’ staff designer tapped into the zeitgeist to create a display featuring a typeface that brings to mind Nazi Germany and propaganda from that era, Sindelar said.

“We had an offended customer who said, ‘Why did you chose this Mein Kampf font for this?’” said Sindelar, who replied with a reminder that Nazis burned books they didn’t like and that evoking that past is a deterrent to repeating it.

“It is jarring and uncomfortable to look at those images. That was the point,” Sindelar said.

Like Sindelar, booksellers across the country are readying Banned Book Week displays, events, and social media campaigns designed to spark debate and reflection about the nature of censorship and the rights of citizens to select their own books”

www.bookweb.org/news/booksellers-fête-free-speech-banned-books-week-100917

Or from this position in 2003, when they encouraged booksellers to tell people telling them they shouldn’t sell particular books to sod off

“Everybody is entitled to an opinion, and by choosing where you spend or don't spend your money you make a statement. There is a greater good, however, it seems to me, and that is the public's right to information”

www.bookweb.org/news/paddling-both-sides-canoe

I mean come on. Even if you think Schrier is wrong, misguided, evil or whatever, you can’t possibly think that the progressive people in this are the ones calling information on the availability of books “violence” and suggesting people need to be protected not just from the ideas in the book, but from receiving information that a book that contains those ideas is available! That’s nuts!

BraveBananaBadge · 16/07/2021 14:36

"Would they also be unhappy to deal with Mein Kampf? I have a copy of that one in my Jewish home, too. Dc studied it as part of History A-level. And, unlike Shrier's book, Mein Kampf does disseminate hatred and promote violence."

Quite, Piles. I just meant it's completely expected that some quarters would make a fuss like this about it. I don't think they're right - quite naive and stupid, in fact - but this is naturally where all this idiocy was headed. Unfortunately.

To instantly dismiss it as an 'anti trans' book when it is nothing of the sort, and then bollock on about violence and harm, does everyone a disservice.

Sophoclesthefox · 16/07/2021 14:37

It really would be playing the long game if the ABA wanted to contribute to efforts to have the book censored in order to then include it in a promotion of “banned books” 😭 that would be almost admirably conniving.

zanahoria · 16/07/2021 16:37

Even if someone is unhappy about it that does not give them the right to describe it as violent.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 16/07/2021 16:47

The effect of calling non-physical things "violent" is to make physical violence seem equally justifiable as a response.

PaterPower · 16/07/2021 18:28

I bought the book earlier today.

Unfortunately via Amazon, who I note had been petitioned by some of their employees to ban it (result being no ban, but they promised they wouldn’t promote it).

Could anyone recommend a good alternative bookseller for this kind of purchase?

AssassinatedBeauty · 16/07/2021 18:31

Hive or Wordery

MirandaBlu · 16/07/2021 18:45

If anyone is looking for an alternative site to order it as an ebook, booksamillion.com have it and aren't likely to be intimidated about stocking it. I'm not sure if they take payment in other currencies besides USD, though.

MillicentMargaretAmanda · 16/07/2021 18:47

I'm ordering my copy from uk.bookshop.org/

PaterPower · 16/07/2021 18:50

Thanks, I’ll have a look at those options.

mollythemeerkat · 16/07/2021 18:57

World of Books might have it secondhand as its been out a while now.

Clymene · 16/07/2021 19:33

@Ereshkigalangcleg

The effect of calling non-physical things "violent" is to make physical violence seem equally justifiable as a response.
Yes! You're bang on the money there. I hadn't thought of it that way.
bigkidsdidit · 16/07/2021 19:48

@miri1985

If there was a way to get people to buy this book, this would be it, its like a marketing masterclass. Just looked it up there on US amazon and its #39 on the chart which is amazing for a book thats been out quite a while and is a niche enough subject.
Not any more. Now it’s no.12
lionheart · 16/07/2021 20:00

The Coddling of the American Mind has some answers.

OP posts:
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/07/2021 20:10

If you click on ‘bestselling books’ it’s number 7!!!!

GrinStarGrinSmileStarFlowersStar

CousinKrispy · 16/07/2021 20:17

I got mine from Waterstones but it did take ages to arrive.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/07/2021 20:18

Abigail Shrier must be having a lovely day.

AfternoonToffee · 16/07/2021 20:32

I got mine through Hive but the bookshop owner said that with Bookshop.org they get an overall % of donations plus some for each book sold.