> I think were there sufficient demand to counterbalance the potential awkwardness of publishing something which will offend, they would still be publishing it.

> I think were there sufficient demand to counterbalance the potential awkwardness of publishing something which will offend, they would still be publishing it. Do you have any evidence that customer demand is driving this decision? Anyway I think you're missing the point entirely. These books no longer being published is part of a broader pattern in which an intolerant minority dictates things to a mostly indifferent majority. Should 5% of the population dictate to 95% of the population? If most people find X offensive, I think it's fine if that gets priced into a publisher's decision. But if 5% of people (who graduated from elite colleges and were quickly hired by venerable institutions) find X offensive while the rest of the population doesn't give a shit, then I think those 5% should shove it.