Banned Books: The World's Most Controversial Books, Past and Present, from DK Publishing, is an excellent overview of well-known books that have been, and in some cases still are, banned or censored in some places.

I think a lot of readers will know the bulk of these books, but it is really cool to get a brief synopsis of each book, and why it was banned. I also really enjoyed the way that it was organized. We got our pre-1900's all the way to the 21st century.

This is a nice-looking volume and I feel like it would make a wonderful coffee table book. I can't wait to get a physical copy. It can also be a good resource for younger folks when talking about censorship.

It's very visual, and I loved all of the colors and photos that are littered throughout. so much fun. and it's made me driven to read some of the ones I haven't read yet!

Banned Books describes some of the most commonly banned books from the 1370s to today. Each page includes a short description of the book, along with where it was banned and the main reasons it was banned. As we continue to deal with school districts, states, and countries banning books today, this is an important read. Short references like this will hopefully help us to become more familiar with the books that come up for banning most often, leading us to understand them better and make good choices.

This book is a short read and does give some good insight into what books were banned most often and why. It also gave me some ideas for books I need to read in the near future!

Since Banned Books isn’t a narrative, it tends to read more like a reference book, although its short length makes it easy to complete. While it was obvious that the authors were presenting this as a list of the most commonly banned books and trying not to add any commentary of their own, I think the book would have benefited from some commentary—or at least a conclusion at the end, as it ends rather abruptly.

Banned Books was a good, interesting read. Enjoyed the insights and the information in the book. Interesting book!

Fascinating and generally even-handed, this is a good survey of the hypocrisy, harm, and ultimate fruitlessness of censorship. Good read.

ARC provided.

Banned Books was a pretty good read.
It was a very basic overview of several banned books, throughout several eras. I think this was very informative and interesting, it wasn't biased. I wish it had gone more in depth, or had a greater selection of books, but what is there is good. It includes several books about racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, religion, and other topics.
I would recommend this book to people who want suggestions on more taboo books (or formerly taboo) and who are merely interested in what is considered bad enough to banned.

This is a pretty standard guide to banned books over the years. It’s not comprehensive by any means, dedicating around one page to each book, but all of the well known books are here, and quite a few more. A great reference guide to what American libraries and schools have banned over the years.

This was a very interesting book to read. Although I'm sure this is just a drop in the bucket regarding how many books have been banned within the past 1000 years. One thing I noticed about all the books covered: the same general reasons were given for their being censored - obscenity, vulgarity; sexual content; racial issues. It boggles the mind that people would prefer we hide from issues such as sexual abuse (rape; molestation), racial injustice, physical abuse, and homophobia, but for many of the authors of the books covered, that is what those who objected to their work wanted. Sadly, these types of foolish attitudes still exist, and will sadly continue to exist because of pure fear of anything different from the 'status quo'. This book is vital for people to read, as it will probably lead those who read it to read the books covered, thus expanding their intellectual horizons. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Banned Books, and recommend those who love books to read it as well.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

Banned Books takes a look at some of the most controversial books that have been banned throughout history. Using the examples in this book, the author shows that book banning and censorship in literature is not just something in current society but has been prevalent through the ages.

While this can be considered a sensitive topic itself, I found this book to be as unbiased as possible when explaining and defining the reasons for each of the books examined in this volume. Both the political and the religious climate are referenced at the time of each book's controversy. The book is written in a straightforward way, simple enough for any reader interested in the topic.

This is a very interesting book. It’s a great jumping off point for further study on the topic of banned literature. This would make a great addition to any library public or personal.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and DK!

Pros: I wanted to read this book because I love to purposefully read banned books. I think it’s one way nerdy bookworms can feel rebellious! I really liked the structure of this book—that it is arranged by time period of publication, that history/context is discussed, and that each book gets its own blurb. I was surprised (in a good way!) at how visual this book. I was also proud of how many banned books featured in this book that I’ve already read, and I love that I was able to add more books to my to-read list.

Cons: This isn’t a con but a note on formatting—because the book is so visual, I suggest reading a PDF version or reading it in print rather than reading it on Kindle.

Thank you to NetGalley and DK for the opportunity to read this book.