The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure is now being sold on Amazon’s Kindle store.
Yes, that is an actual book. And yes, this is actually happening.
The author goes by the name of “Phillip R. Greaves, 2nd.” He/she has three other books in the Kindle store: A Government of Service to All, The Grand Delusion, and the beautifully named Our Gardens of Flesh.
The book’s synopsis (barely) reads:
This is my attempt to make pedophile situations safer for those juveniles that find themselves involved in them, by establishing certian rules for these adults to follow. I hope to achieve this by appealing to the better nature of pedosexuals, with hope that their doing so will result in less hatred and perhaps liter [sic] sentences should they ever be caught.
While this Greaves character is either a deeply disturbed human being or the owner of the worst sense of humor of all time, that’s not the point. Based on that summary, his book aims to teach the reader how to engage in pedophilia. And that’s not OK.
181 people have commented, nearly all asking for the book to be removed. But Amazon has been in this position before, and they didn’t budge. According to a statement, supposedly received by a commenter at Business Insider, Amazon issued the following:
As a retailer, our goal is to provide customers with the broadest selection possible so they can find, discover, and buy any item they might be seeking. That selection includes some items which many people may find objectionable. Therefore, the items offered on our website represent a wide spectrum of opinions on a variety of topics.
Let me assure you that Amazon.com does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts; we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.
Amazon.com believes it is censorship not to sell certain titles because we believe their message is objectionable. Therefore, we’ll continue to make controversial works available in the United States and everywhere else, except where they’re prohibited by law. We also allow readers, authors, and publishers to express their views freely about these titles and other products we offer on our website. However, Amazon.com doesn’t endorse opinions expressed by individual authors, musical artists, or filmmakers.
But wouldn’t this be the time to make an exception? Amazon is a private company that can decide what books it sells. They’re under no obligation to sell this book. Yet they do. We understand wanting to promote “free speech,” but not when it’s unnecessarily condoning the exploitation of underage children. Whether or not Amazon likes to admit it, that’s what they’re really promoting.
What do you think? Should Amazon pull the book? Or do you agree with the statement? Let us know in the comments.
If I want to know how to effectively deal with my pedophilia I have the right to and if someone wants to write a book about this subject, they can because of the constitution of America. God Bless America.
Pedophilia is a crime, the same way that internet policemen fight against pedophiles who distribute disturbing material over the web, this kind of enofrcement should be done with this kind of material…why would it be different here? should the existance of other undetected crimes, allow this to happen?
Why should book promoting legal crimes be allowed?
Shouldn’t Amazon be legally punished by this?
Pedophilia is a disorder. Committing a sexual or lewd act against or with a child is a crime.
Use your terms correctly is you want to be taken seriously.
Disregard the auto-correct mistake. “if” not “is”
This is nothing to do with free speech, which does not include an inalienable right to sell things through any particular retailer, and it is nothing to do with censorship, which in the true sense is only carried out by governments. I do wish people had not lost their understanding of these distinctions. It is about Amazon not having a sense of taste or decency, and not acting with the proper sense of protection of the strong towards the weak. People who sell products produced by others share responsibility for the effects of those products. This applies to books just… Read more »
I have a hard time listening to people trying to be philosophical and intelligent at the expense of being moral. Anyone with children has the sense to say “this book should never have been written and should never be sold.” I know some people like to pretend we are an advanced society by being “tolerant” of this type of garbage, but when are they going to wake up and realize they’ve gone too far? This is outrageous and I am disgusted listening to people try and defend a book about raping children.
Mc: Whether the book is written is no one’s business. This is America. As sick as that book is, the guy has the right to author it. I don’t ever want to take that away.
My problem is with Amazon choosing to put it up for sale. I think it’s in incredibly poor taste and shows an appalling lack of judgment.
Okay, I agree that one should have the right to write this (though it is incredibly sick). And I agree that Amazon made a very poor choice. But I’m on the fence with it being pulled. If Amazon had decided to pull it because they realized it was poor decision, fine. But they didn’t. They pulled it because the massed complained. That’s what bothers me. I’m not saying it should still be for sale on Amazon, and I am NOT defending the book OR it’s demented author, but I am always leery when something like this occurs and I can’t… Read more »
Amazon is completely in the wrong here.
This is not literature, and not noteworthy.
Effective pedophilia, talking the youth from our kids.
I for one am BOYCOTTING Amazon for this final straw.
Freedom of speech, is not covered by this.
Sick, disgusting, by any standard.
The slow, steady decay and decline of our society.
I’m a journalist and therefore one of the biggest proponents of free speech out there. But this is not about free speech.
This book is not about the negative effects pedophiles have on children. It’s not the story of a survivor spinning a tale of redemption. This book is specifically for pedophiles and instructs them how to better commit an ILLEGAL crime. Sorry, but there’s no place for that.
Are they allowed to sell whatever they want? Of course, they’re a private company. But they’re a private company that will never see another dollar from me. This is despicable.
I’m with you.
I agree. And there is a massive difference between The Anarchist’s Cookbook and a book with instructions on how to rape and abuse a child and get away with it. Apples and Oranges.
Rachel, just to be clear on this. You have no problem with Amazon selling a book that advocates the violent overthrow of organised society, and provides instructions for doing so. Is that correct?
I’m with you as well.. The censorship line needs to be drawn at something illegal. Not just morally sick and wrong but ILLEGAL!! They shouldn’t be condoning illegal activities. If they don’t pull it I’m not sending another dime from me!
See Derek above, re: Lolita, etc.
“But wouldn’t this be the time to make an exception?” No, no, a thousand times no. The whole point of having a no-censorship policy is that there are no exceptions. What is censorship other than making exceptions? If Amazon says this book cannot be sold, then they are saying that they will not sell books with objectionable content. And once they do that, where do the objections stop? Is it OK to sell “Mein Kampf”? What about “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”? Or “The Anarchist’s Cookbook”? “120 Days of Sodom”? “Lolita”? “Catcher in the Rye”? “The Adventures of… Read more »
I’m 100% with you on this one.
There are several books on that list that I would not sell if I ran a bookshop. Booksellers should not get a free pass from making difficult decisions. They should apply well thought out values, and accept the commercial consequences.
I’m with Amazon on this one. It is pretty awful & appalling– but Amazon’s ethics on censorship are valid & consistent.
You’re kidding right??? The line of censorship needs to be drawn at illegal activities.
…right, which is…exactly what Amazon’s policy is?