Take Up and Read

      A mixture of literary criticism, history of philosophy, religion, 

and scientific skepticism sound s like a sure cure for insomnia 

to most people. however, like most of the books we review, 

Roger Shattuck's forbidden knowledge is a profound work that

 is worthy of several reading.
      Of course, not everyone shares our view. for instance, one 

reviewer has said, "This work ...is the worst piece of scholarship

 that I have ever had the displeasure of reading. The lack of 

intellectual integrity is astounding, especially for someone so high 

up in the academic world... This book will appeal to those who 

secretly wish to resort back to the ol' days when life was simple 

and God was still an unassailable reality, but for those of a higher 

intellectual nature, this book is a travesty." still another enlightened 

soul titled his review," A thinly veiled attack on the first Amendment,"

 which summarizes the rest of the review.

     Oh horror of horrors Shattuck has committed the unpardonable 

sin of warning us of the damage done to individuals and society by 

pornograghy it is as if the rest of this book did not even exist for 

most of the negative reviewer--all they needed to do was to point to 

his argument for the existence of an objective morality that makes 

pornography wrong and their case was closed.
      Good review Outweighs the bad, though Many reviewers among 

them One ex-student of Shattuck, give insight into the development 

of the book. Insude information like this only reinforces my admiration 

for this author's work. 

      If you do read this book, don't read chaoter 7 on the Marguis 

de sade. Even reading the brief quotes from his wirk is too disturbing 

for most people. Also I encourage you to reaf Appendix 1 first. It gives

 six categories of forbidden knowledge. A powerful organizatioal tool to 

help the first-timer Reader know howto categories the examples in the 

text of the book, which Is published by Harcourt Brace and is already 

in its sevond printing. Give it Several thorough reading--- it deserves it.