Context

Canadian blogger, sf novelist, and copyright activist Doctorow writes about issues near and dear to librarians' hearts in this collection of essays on topics from the damage censorship does to schools to the complications of digital-rights management. Drawing from blog entries and columns he wrote for the Guardian and Publishers Weekly, the book presents 44 short pieces that could be sound bites. He's not afraid to use his experience in the worlds of programming and, more recently, publishing as kindling to fuel his arguments, and essays such as the pointed and irreverent "Why I Won't Buy an iPad (And Think You Shouldn't Either)" are highlights. The writing is full of practical advice for those grappling with writing and self-publishing or simply trying to keep their email inbox neat. Formal subject divisions would have made the book easier to navigate.