Golden Book of chemistry is free

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the availability and status of the "Golden Book of Chemistry," particularly focusing on claims regarding its banning and the implications of such actions. Participants explore the historical context of the book, its perceived censorship, and the accessibility of its content in modern times.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express surprise at the idea of books being banned, noting that they believed such works were simply going out of print.
  • One participant cites a comment from an Amazon link suggesting that the book was banned by the US government, but they express skepticism about the existence of documentation supporting this claim.
  • A participant recalls that a PDF version of the book was previously easy to find, indicating its availability in the past.
  • Multiple participants question the evidence for the book's banning, with one stating they found no documentation from government or educational institutions supporting the notion of it being banned or "unbanned." They highlight that the idea seems to be perpetuated without clear origins.
  • Another participant provides a link where the book can be downloaded for free, indicating its current accessibility despite the discussions around its status.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the book was actually banned, with multiple competing views and a general lack of evidence presented to support the claims of banning.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the absence of clear documentation regarding the book's banning and the reliance on anecdotal claims, which may contribute to the confusion surrounding its status.

DennisR
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I had no idea they were banning books like this. I just thought they were letting them go out of print. At any rate, modern books do seem exceptionally sanitized compared to the old ones.
 
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Here's something from one of the comments at the Amazon link:

It is commonly reported that this book was banned by the US government, and pulled from all school library shelves. I have not yet seen any documentation of this report, so I suspect it is an urban legend.
 
Few years ago pdf version was pretty easy to locate.
 
Is there any evidence it was banned? Much less "unbanned"?
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Is there any evidence it was banned? Much less "unbanned"?
I googled for many pages and couldn't find any evidence of any government or school system or public library system banning it. The notion it is a "banned book" is repeated over and over and over again though. About a third of links call that notion into question. It doesn't seem like anyone has any information on the origin of that idea/rumor.
 

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