# "The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure" and Amazon **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 12, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388 "2010-11-12T03:23:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/261 "2010-11-17T20:23:54Z")
Why not? This one did. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/262 "2010-11-17T20:54:49Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > “No” to what? Nobody’s forcing you to buy it. Nobody’s forcing Amazon to sell it. Nobody’s forcing people to do business with them. I don’t patronize a lot of stores for a whole lot less than selling pedophile promotional material. Many of them have gone out of business. If I like a business I tell them what I don’t like about them. If I don’t then it’s there problem to figure it out. There is one business in my area that went from a local to a national chain and in the process their service declined to the point I will push my car to a competitor rather then do business with them. I will not support a business that profits from the promotion of pedophilia. It is a function of making socially responsible purchases. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/263 "2010-11-17T22:55:55Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Why not? This one did. It had sold exactly one copy before the offenderati started their campaign. Why would he have published any more when he wasn’t selling the ones he already had? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/264 "2010-11-17T23:57:50Z")
One too many, if you ask me. But that’s not the point – it’s whether or not Amazon can be counted on by the deve-set for hosting their How To Diddle a Kid books. It appears they’ve decided not to be. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/265 "2010-11-18T00:47:40Z")
It’s not like they put it on an end-cap. Really what Amazon did was provide an open publishing platform and a venue for self-published authors to sell their crappy books directly to readers with e-readers. Apparently that’s more freedom than many people can handle. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/266 "2010-11-18T01:13:28Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I will not support a business that profits from the promotion of pedophilia. It is a function of making socially responsible purchases. I’m with you, but only to the extent of businesses which _exclusively_ cater to those kind of people. For example, there’s an online DVD store (can’t recall the name) which sells many hard to find foreign films – titles like _Kes_, _Pixote_, _The Year My Voice Broke_, etc. – which are impossible to find in Region 1. Unfortunately, they were also a distributor for the aforementioned Baikal Films, as well as other dodgy videos which obviously catered towards pedophiles. I would never patronize that kind of business, nor should anyone else. But to boycott Amazon over a single book is silly, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/267 "2010-11-18T05:17:42Z")
> [@fuzzypickles](#): > > I’m with you, but only to the extent of businesses which _exclusively_ cater to those kind of people. > > For example, there’s an online DVD store (can’t recall the name) which sells many hard to find foreign films – titles like _Kes_, _Pixote_, _The Year My Voice Broke_, etc. – which are impossible to find in Region 1. Unfortunately, they were also a distributor for the aforementioned Baikal Films, as well as other dodgy videos which obviously catered towards pedophiles. I would never patronize that kind of business, nor should anyone else. > > But to boycott Amazon over a single book is silly, IMO. Well maybe, but the boycott worked. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/268 "2010-11-18T06:25:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Now, if they read a book which (1) tells them their sickness is actually normal, and (2) gives advice on how to fuck a child AND prevent the child from talking (presumably by brainwashing the child into believing that sex w/adults is healthy and normal; which IS how most child molesters operate, btw) – we have a problem. BIG problem. Exactly. It’s basicly… would you allow a cult leader to publish stuff for other cult leaders that tells them their beliefs are normal and that b/c of that they have carte blanche to do all the horrifying stuff that a stereotypical cult leader would do? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/269 "2010-11-19T01:10:44Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Well maybe, but the boycott worked. How did the boycott work? The book sold more copies and garnered infinitely more interest than it would have had there been no publicity-gathering boycott. Interested parties are now more likely to know the author’s name, that he writes this material, that he may write more in the future, etc.. If one’s goal is that the book in question attracts the smallest possible audience, then I can’t see any metric by which the boycott succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/270 "2010-11-19T05:18:22Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > How did the boycott work? The book sold more copies and garnered infinitely more interest than it would have had there been no publicity-gathering boycott. Interested parties are now more likely to know the author’s name, that he writes this material, that he may write more in the future, etc.. > > If one’s goal is that the book in question attracts the smallest possible audience, then I can’t see any metric by which the boycott succeeded. They pulled the book relatively quickly. If you think in the age of the internet that the author isn’t easy to find you are sorely mistaken. Porn has shifted dramatically from physical media to digital which is the form in which the book was being sold. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/271 "2010-12-20T18:54:08Z")
Update: [Writer of pedophile’s ‘hot-to’ arrested](http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/20/florida.obscenity.arrest/index.html?hpt=T2) Unfortunately, he’s only been arrested for shipping the book. Or maybe that’s ‘fortunately’, for we all know what we thought he would end up getting arrested for. I’m still not sure what the over/under is on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/272 "2010-12-20T20:10:01Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Update: Writer of pedophile’s **‘hot-to’** [book] arrested I meant, “ **how** -to.” Honest mistake. And probably not \*even \*a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/273 "2010-12-20T20:58:55Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I meant, “ **how** -to.” > Honest mistake. And probably not \*even \*a mistake. I wonder how many books were purchased by police departments? He could be in court for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/274 "2010-12-20T22:03:03Z")
I wondered if this would happen. Even while Amazon was defending the decision to sell the book, they were clear that they wouldn’t sell anything they believed to be illegal. Since it struck me as a close call legally, I thought that would have been an easy out for Amazon! Of course, I actually doubt that the book _is_ illegal. From what little I understand of the law, you have to actually be pretty direct in instigating illegal acts to fall outside the 1st Amendment. “Here’s how someone could build a nuclear device and here is how someone could escape detection doing so and here are several reasons why someone might want to construct nuclear weapons in their home or office and set them off in populated places in the US,” is probably ok if I don’t intend to actually encourage anyone. “Go build a nuclear weapon and blow stuff up!” is probably not ok, if I have reason to believe someone might actually do it because I told them to, even if I didn’t tell them how or why. At least I think so. But we’ll see what happens in Fla. I wouldn’t be _too_ surprised if a prosecutor can convince a judge and jury the book fell on the wrong side of that line. And that’s just for inciting a crime. I’m not even going to speculate on the obscenity aspect. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/275 "2010-12-20T23:30:50Z")
It looks like they’re trying to make an obscenity charge. I don’t see how that could possiby stick. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/276 "2010-12-21T01:08:13Z")
I thought that too, like it’s _Fanny Hill_ all over again. If theres a Shakespeare quote in it somewhere this’ll be dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/277 "2010-12-21T01:25:35Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It looks like they’re trying to make an obscenity charge. I don’t see how that could possiby stick. I would venture a guess that they don’t give a damn if it sticks. They’re after warrants that will let them search his house and computers. The “child porn trafficker” charges are waiting in the wings and those they can make stick… ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/278 "2010-12-21T01:36:24Z")
Good point, **Zakalwe**. I wonder if that’s a legitimate tactic, legally. I mean, the charges they filed presumably aren’t patently unreasonable, just unlikely to result in conviction. They have to show probable cause that he violated an obscenity law, and presumably did so. If they don’t actually intend to pursue the obscenity charge, are they acting in bad faith even if they believe him to be factually guilty? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/279 "2010-12-21T02:17:43Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Why would I feel any less charitably about it than a manual dedicted to teaching people how to molest my children? Further wouldn’t you want to know just how people might try to molest your kids? If you have an accurate manual of how people might try to molest them then you also have a good manual for protecting them. The enemy’s battle strategies if you will. Computer security is full of information about how to break into systems. The good guys love this info just as much as the bads, because it helps the goods resist the bads. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388/280 "2010-12-21T03:32:36Z")
I already know how to protect them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pedophile-s-guide-to-love-and-pleasure-and-amazon/560388.md?page=15)