Amazon halts selling of Ravitch's book about school reform.

[madfloridian]

It has been selling quite well so this is a really suspicious move. I hate to say it makes me wonder considering the heavy emphasis on all the NBC affiliates about the new "reform" movement.

Here is what it says at the Amazon page:

The Death and Life of the Great American School System. How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education

Item Under Review

While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!)

We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

Diane Ravitch, former assistant Secretary of Education under Bush, tweets about it.

http://twitter.com/DianeRavitch

# Sounds crazy, but it's true. Sales suspended for a week. Never happened to me before. No explanation. about 2 hours ago via mobile web in reply to benboychuk

# Billionaires buying control of public education with strategic gifts, mayoral control, Duncan cheerleading. about 2 hours ago via mobile web

Here is more on the topic:

Amazon’s censorship of Dr. Ravitch.

Fred,

After I read your blog today, I sent Amazon an email and used words like “censorship to meet the CEOs political views”. I got a response back within minutes (really!) that said that they do offer the book and they linked me to the page that shows it offered through other sellers. I fired back a response about how I will be sure to use Barnes and Noble in the future and will encourage others to do the same. When I got home from our hike in the woods, I checked the Ravitch book page again on Amazon and here is what it now says…

Item Under Review

While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it’s described here. (Thanks for the tip!)

We’re working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

Amazing. Glad I already have the book in hand and reading it now.

Too coincidental. There is nothing wrong with the book except its truthiness.

And another tweet from her today. She sounds a bit angry. I would be as well.

CEO of amazon facilitates meeting of billionaire and Mayor Booker. Coincidence, amazon suspends sale of my book.http://tinyurl.com/2aes47w about 2 hours ago via mobile web from Montecito, CA

I do believe that billionaire she refers to might be Mark Zuckerberg.

[stray cat]

1. Barnes and Noble thanks you for their support and business

[JackRiddler]

2. No holds barred in the war on teachers.

However, suppressing the book in this fashion does sound a tad exotic as a tactic, except... what the hell, I have never seen or heard of such a message on Amazon before. It's bizarre, and bizarrely generic. (Like how about they explain wtf they're doing?!)

[blondeatlast]

3. Suspicious at best, disgusting at worst. In the meantime, here's my favorite online bookseller's

(Powell's) entry for it:

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780465014910-1

[BrklynLiberal]

13. Thanks for that link. Will do my book shopping there from now on..

[PufPuf23]

73. Haven't read the book but the attack on public education is disgusting.

Powell's is my favorite book store in the world: for context lived 7 years in Berkeley, have been to The Strand (between 1972 and mid 90s), and have been to the Hay-on-Wye Book Fair in Wales -- but also worked 7 years on Pioneer Square and lived 94-99 in Corvallis afterwards. A total book junkie.

I am seriously thinking about not buying from Amazon now (where I am a very good customer).

Duncan's policies are to weaken public education and make education more profitable for corporations by robbing the public commons for the rich and well placed.

The intent is blatant and regressive for society.

[glitch]

76. +infinity. Powell's is better anyway. nt

[chimpymustgo]

4. There's something happening here.

Education Week...underwritten by a host of corporations. This very one-sided documentary (no regular public school success stories shown - just charter schools).

The takeover is underway.

[LWolf]

5. I'd be furious.

As a matter of fact, I AM furious. :grr:

[Canuckistanian]

6. Everyone with an Amazon account,, put it on your "Wish List"

That way they can SEE the demand for it

They STILL have the disclaimer:

Item Under Review

While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!)

We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

[FSogol]

8. Great idea. K & R. n/t

[blaze]

9. Must have changed their minds... In my cart now. nt

[madfloridian]

10. Available from other sellers on page, not Amazon.

Check your cart to see who will ship it.

[blaze]

21. It says

Shipped from and sold by Amazon.

[msanthrope]

23. Sold and shipped by amazon? Well, well....n/t

[madfloridian]

25. They list the sellers. They still say Amazon is reviewing it.

Though they have been selling it for ages.

"Item Under Review

While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!)

We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."


I know you are trying to prove me wrong. I hope you can.

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Done!!!!!!!!!

[blondeatlast]

7. Thank you, amazon, for pushing this title up the bestseller lists. Signed, Powell's Books.

(See link above)

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Wow..Banning AND burning of books in this country in this day and age..!!!

[RainDog]

12. I can send anyone a copy that needs it via my local bookseller

I'm the buyer and asst. manager. I just checked and it's in stock at the distributor. This store cannot offer the discounts that Amazon does (because, in fact, they engage in unfair trade practices but call it something else...)

anyway, with shipping it would cost about 30.50 (tax if you live in the same state.) if you want me to send a copy, send me a message and I'll give you contact info and you can call tomorrow when the store is open. you'll receive the book within 3 days.

as of 9 p.m. eastern there are more than a 100 copies available where I am.

[msanthrope]

15. This is a misleading OP--you can still buy it from Amazon--

The Large Print edition is fine,

The Kindle and Kindle for PC editions*** are fine,

And over 20 marketplace sellers are carrying it.

Only one version is having trouble, and that happens from time to time when a book is popular.

Not everything is a conspiracy....

***download the free app, and you can purchase the book and have it in 1 minute....

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Ok, go order it and get back to us

:eyes:

[msanthrope]

24. Poster upthread already did, with no problem.

Not everything is a conspiracy....

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. Fail.

Still says under review. Can't order at this time. You didn't even try, did you?

[madfloridian]

38. I don't see a way to even add it to the cart. If you find a way tell me.

There's a way to add to wish list, or save.

People here would rather prove us wrong than anything.

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. You can't

I'll keep checking. I added to my wish list.

[msanthrope]

50. Buy another version--they are still available.

If you think the other poster is lying, you should tell them.

[msanthrope]

45. Did you not understand post 15?

One version has a problem. (popular books sometimes do.)

The others seem to working just fine.

In fact, you can even download the first chapter free.

That's not censorship--that's an inventory issue.

The poster upthread says he was able to order it with no problem, from amazon--

If you think he's lying, go confront them....

[proud2BlibKansan]

48. Tell Diane Ravitch

It's her book. She is concerned. I don't blame her.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. The thing to do is to CONTACT HER AGENT

But hey, I just did publishing for five years, what would I know?

And the publisher said a page was missing. Well, well, that IS a classic BAD print run...

OTHER editions are available. In this case if this was true censorship, ALL editions would be gone. Oh and she would not be able to tell you either.

[msanthrope]

Facts??? On this thread?? What the hell are you thinking?

You are destroying a perfectly good paranoid conspiracy....

Hell, you could be part of it....;-)

[nadinbrzezinski]

62. Hey Deist Games was a small publisher

what would I know about proofs, POD or any of that crap!

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. OMG

She also has been 'conveniently' left out of the coverage on NBC today.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. It is available for the Kindle though

Yes, I did check.

[madfloridian]

26. And the large print, I think. So it is okay to put a warning?

Everyone is trying to prove this post is wrong.

I would like to think so.

Why not hard back?

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Most likely it is a print run problem

having done publishing.

[madfloridian]

30. I will run and tell Ravitch who is angry about it...tell her not to fret.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. Look I am just pointing out that is IS available in other formats

From time to time there ARE issues with print runs... and if a customer complaints, the WHOLE run is put under review.

It SHOULD, if there is a problem with the print run, been caught at the point of origin with a good Q\A review. But from time to time bad print runs reach the end consumer... and real bad ones have silly shit like MISSING pages in the book.

Do you want them to sell bad books or do a review?

IF they were truly taking it off line... why keep selling OTHER formats?

(Now I personally rather buy my books in EPUB format, but that is just me)

And if they wanted to take it off the catalog... IT WOULD be off the catalog.

[madfloridian]

35. Hey, I have my copy. Don't fret about it.

There was discussion at her twitter site about the other formats being available. So I assumed folks read my link.

Don't worry.

[nadinbrzezinski]

I am not,

I just know this reads and smells like a normal publishing glitch. She SHOULD contact her agent... though... because those "bad copies," will be destroyed, and they should be replaced by the publisher as bad copies.

I am just telling you how it works.

[madfloridian]

46. Here is what the publisher said.

"Amazon told publisher a page missing. Pub checked, not true. Sales suspended. about 10 hours ago via mobile web from Northwest Torrance, Torrance "

http://twitter.com/DianeRavitch

She also said sales were suspended a week ago.

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. BINGO... page missing

that HAPPENS!!!!

[madfloridian]

51. So the publisher is not telling her the truth?

Sometimes here at DU people get so determined to prove someone else wrong that they can't even see what is happening.

The publisher told her not true.

[nadinbrzezinski]

59. IF you know her, TELL HER TO CONTACT HER AGENT

and CLEAR THIS UP.

Look if I complaint to Ghandi Bookstore in Mexico City that an El Colegio de Mexico book has a page missing, and chiefly bring the book in... they need to tell the publisher that this is a defect. The same goes if I take a Penguin Edition to oh Borders... see that is how this works.

I am not trying to prove anything, but if this was true censorship ALL OTHER EDITIONS would be off as well. The page would be gone... into the memory hole. That is the way REAL censorship works. Oh and Kindle, would remove the book from my machines.

I suspect that they got a bad copy returned... they are doing what book sellers do around the world. Yes, sometimes things happen, and they are coincidences.

[madfloridian]

52. "Pub checked, not true"

[proud2BlibKansan]

53. How long does that take to fix?

[madfloridian]

56. The publisher said no page was missing.

But that doesn't seem to matter.

[nadinbrzezinski]

61. Read what I told you above

and no MAJOR publisher will admit this on an open channel... why she HAS TO CONTACT her Agent.

[nadinbrzezinski]

60. In the modern day once you get it into the pipeline

and this is corrected, 72 hours to a week. These books are done in an ON PRINT ON DEMAND basis.

[msanthrope]

58. Facts shoud never be allowed to interfere with paranoid conspiracies!

You could be in on it, you know....

[msanthrope]

32. I've seen it happen before when a book is popular. n/t

[sabrina 1]

18. And I hope that they have unintentionally boosted sales

of the book. The war on teachers continues.

But what is wrong with America? In France, Spain, Greece, Britain and across the Globe, there is huge resistance with millions going on strike and marching in the streets to stop the implementation of policies that here in America, we just talk about?

Why don't teachers strike? Let's see how parents feel about who is more important to their children, Arne or teachers, when they have no one in the classroom for a week or more?

Certainly Europeans have no qualms about using the power of the people to get their point across. I expect huge disagreement with me here because you know, we have to be 'reasonable'! :eyes: Like that ever got anyone anywhere when dealing with irrational, greedy, corrupt elected and unelected officials!

[madfloridian]

20. Here's the link to the full article in Ravitch's tweet about Amazon CEO

Very interesting reading.

http://mobile.nj.com/advnj/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=Pdx3fujW&full=true#display

"A charismatic politician, Booker had built a national profile. While criticized for it at home, he had raised more than $7 million for his recent election campaign — much of it from outside the poverty ridden city over which he presides — from the likes of Oprah, Steven Spielberg, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former New York Giant Tiki Barber.

A Facebook celebrity in his own right, Booker had been friends with Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, since 2007. But despite several attempts, he had never been able to meet up with her boss until Booker found himself at a table with Zuckerberg, who had no history of large philanthropic contributions.

In the wake of the New Jersey state budget and tax cap battles that consumed Trenton for much of July, Booker finally called Christie. "I think Mark Zuckerberg is interested in partnering with the two of us to really try to change the Newark school system," he privately told the governor.

"In what way?" Christie asked.

Booker said Zuckerberg was not saying specifically how much money, but was talking about a significant contribution that would be a challenge grant — anything he put up would have to be matched by additional private and corporate donations."

Read it all.

[madfloridian]

22. Did they skirt state law? Interesting part of the article.

"All through August, attorneys advising the governor and his team worked on the legal aspects of the deal, which they believed were fairly simple. State law does not allow a mayor to take over a school system without approval of the Legislature or through a local referendum. But under this plan, Booker was being made a special assistant to Christie, using authority that emanates from the governor’s power under school-takeover laws."

[Smarmie Doofus]

28. Anyone up for a book-burning on the DC mall next SAT?

We could put a few copies of The Death and Life to the torch to publicize the above outrage.


Just runnin' it up the flagpole.

But..............

[proud2BlibKansan]

54. I'm in!

PM me for my cell number.

[madfloridian]

29. There is no price listed for hardback at the kindle site.

Formats
Amazon Price New from Used from

Hardcover -- $13.97 $17.65

[msanthrope]

31. "There is no price listed for hardback at the kindle site"

I don't even know what that means....

[madfloridian]

34. After all are done arguing with me, trying to prove me wrong...go tweet Ravitch

http://twitter.com/DianeRavitch

And let her know all is well...because she learned those sales were suspended for a week with no explanation to the publisher.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Her agent should explain this to her

not me...

But it DOES happen, and it happens more often than you think... bad print runs are put under review by end sellers, and not just in the US.

If it was truly gone... well it WOULD BE gone.

[madfloridian]

39. I am quite sure you are right. And she is just being silly.

.

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. Fail on your sarcasm

Look, you taught, you know teaching. I did publishing... SHE SHOULD contact her agent... PERIOD. There are reasons why she has to. But publishing DOES HAVE glitches. Hell, at times you need to do two to three proofs for the publisher to get it right.

[madfloridian]

49. I posted above. She contacted the publisher. Nothing is wrong with the edition.

:shrug:

Amazon told publisher a page missing. Pub checked, not true. Sales suspended. about 10 hours ago via mobile web from Northwest Torrance, Torrance

Amazon stopped sales of my book a week ago, no explanation. Would it distract from Big Message of W4S & NBC? about 10 hours ago via mobile web from Downtown Long Beach, Long Beach

http://twitter.com/DianeRavitch

[nadinbrzezinski]

64. ONCE AGAIN

If there was a real censorship WHY THE HELL DID I JUST DOWNLOAD IT TO THE KINDLE?

The publisher can tell her mass for all I care. THERE IS A PROBLEM with the print run,. they got a complaint from a customer, most likely a returned bad copy... they are following SOP...

The end seller is doing exactly what they need to do... sorry.

And she SHOULD CONTACT her damn agent. She has one.

[proud2BlibKansan]

67. It's not the Kindle version, it's the hardback that's unavailable.

[nadinbrzezinski]

70. Kindly re-read what I wrote

They are dealing with a RETURNED copy, which had a Q\A problem.

If there was real censorship the book would be OFF the market. Is this so hard to understand?

Do Americans really think that a BAD copy, and a Q\A review equals censorship? Really?

I can almost smell what happened... a FILE used to do the print run somehow got corrupted. How do I know? It happened to me...

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. Ravitch has also been conveniently left out of the NBC coverage today

I doubt this is just a coincidence.

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. Now that bothers me

[Nikki Stone1]

44. Censorship?

?

[proud2BlibKansan]

57. The plot thickens

Just went to Facebook AFT page. Posted a comment about Ravitch's book. It was rejected. Says I don't have permission to post to that page. :wtf:

[msanthrope]

66. I bet Agent Mike is reading this, right now.

:tinfoilhat:

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. IT is so damn unavailable that I just bought it for the Kindle

I prefer EPUB editions... (Open format)... but I am about to download it to my IPOD.


Done... if there was really censorship tell me why I just downloaded the book to my IPOD using the KINDLE app?

Yes, IT IS a bad print run, and a customer complained. Coincidence, you betcha... but nobody is trying to silence anybody.

[northoftheborder]

65. Ravitch's book now selling on Amazon from Amazon, put it on my wish list.

[madfloridian]

69. Tell me how you added the hardcover to your cart?

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Great-American-School-System/dp/0465014917

Because the large print and kindle are available.

Hardcover available from other sellers, not Amazon.

[nadinbrzezinski]

72. Tell me how this constitutes censorship then?

I mean the Gulag Archipielago was passed from person to person in mimeographed copies that were smuggled into the USSR, in what was known as the Zamisdat press. You are telling me this is the same?

(By the way it was a prison offense to be found with any book in the Zamisdat collection on your person) Now that is censorship.

[KansasVoter]

68. Do people here REALLY want Amazon censoring books?????

[nadinbrzezinski]

71. They are not. If they were

tell me exactly how the hell did I buy a Kindle copy ten minutes ago and chiefly downloaded it?

I was intending to read it, just not now. I guess it is moving ahead in the cue now.

What they are most likely dealing with is... a quality control issue with ONE of th editions. IT FUCKING HAPPENS!!!!!

[Neurotica]

74. Potentially ironic considering it's Banned Books Week...

The American Library Association's annual effort to educate people about the dangers of censorship.

I don't know what's going on here, but I've bought a lot of books from Amazon and have never encountered a message like this before (and I did try to select the hardcover version, to no avail).

[nadinbrzezinski]

75. What is going on here is a bad copy

and a Q\A review.

This is not a banned book. I downloaded it half an hour ago for the Kindle.

It happens... somebody got a bad copy and returned it. So they have to clear up what is going on... whether it is ONE bad copy, or the damn print run... it happens.

Yes, sometimes things are that simple...

Or as some here believe, I should hope the GRU does not know I somehow procured a mimeograph copy of this, in the ever so famous Samisdast press. I mean if they do... it is at least 10 years in Siberia. Now THAT is what real censorship looks like.

Opps, I just told them I have it.... nice knowing DU.

:sarcasm:

[madfloridian]

77. That is a guess on your part.

The hardback copy is still available the Barnes and Noble.

[nadinbrzezinski]

78. Did Barnes and Noble get a bad copy?

I told you quite simply that if a seller gets a bad copy they CHECK their stock. It is Standard Operating Procedure.

And are you still telling me this is censorship? Good book, been readying my copy all morning. Did I procure a mimeographed copy somehow and should fear the Feds busting through my door any second?

THAT is what censorship looks like. Or is just using the WRONG word the problem here? And yes, words have a fucking meaning

Here

Censorship is the suppression of speech or other communication which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the general body of people as determined by a government, media outlet, or other controlling body.

IF this was going on, I would not have been able to BUY and DOWNLOAD a copy LAST NIGHT.

I also told you that Ravitch BETTER contact her agent, far more efficient in situations like this than going on the twitter. Or is she also gone missing into the Gulag Archipielago? Look I like you, but on this one... people are making stuff up, and not realizing that yes shit happens, and there are coincidences in the world... my guess I am betting is right on the money. If you were right, and I told you this yesterday, all forms and all copies in the catalog would be gone. Are they? Can you still get it? YES... that is the short answer.

Here, once again, the definition of censorship... fer real that is.

Censorship is the suppression of speech or other communication which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the general body of people as determined by a government, media outlet, or other controlling body.

Jesus age, when people confuse what looks and smells like a Q\A review on the part of a seller with censorship... I worry about Americans...

Once again... should I worry about the FBI coming into the home, arresting me, and sending me to an internal Gulag? Serious, are you serious?

Oh and the source for the definition...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship

Now back to readying my apparently censored and illegal copy...

[tblue37]

79. Please. The word "truthiness" was invented by Stephen

Colbert to refer to the sort of ridiculous nonsense that the brain dead fall for because it has something of a veneer of truth, even though it is NOT the truth at all. Truthiness = pretty or clever sounding falsehoods. You just said that Ravitch's book is full of pretty or clever sounding falsehoods!

I don't know why people use "truthiness" when they mean "truth," since "truthiness" is the opposite of truth!

[tammywammy]

80. You can buy it now

Shipping to: XXXXX
The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education - Diane Ravitch
$15.75 - Quantity: 1 - In Stock
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC

[nadinbrzezinski]

81. Q\A Review is over

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Great-American-School-System/dp/0465014917

WOW that was AMAZING censorship.

Sorry if I laugh at this. But this was damn comical.

[madfloridian]

82. Yes, I notice it was being sold again.

I am so glad you found this so hilarious.

[nadinbrzezinski]

83. Look once again, you confused a Q\A review with censorship

Sorry that you did. And to those of us who KNOW the real meaning of the word, it is damn comical.

Perhaps you should go down and speak to people who actually have lived in a country where readying something could get you killed or sent away for a real long time.

I have...

So in this case, buy a clue.

[msanthrope]

84. This was some amazing paranoia---Jeebus Christ. n/t

[MichiganVote]

85. Folks I just ordered it from A. w/o a problem

The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education

Diane Ravitch (Author)
› Visit Amazon's Diane Ravitch Page
Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
See search results for this author

"In Stock."
"Ships from and sold by Amazon.com."

Like I said, I had no problem ordering it.

[madfloridian]

86. Yes, yes, it can be ordered now. It could not be ordered in hardcover

for the last week.

Ravitch posted at Twitter that thanks to them, it was selling again.

There was a post there last night.

I posted it in the OP.

What an ugly thread this became.

Speak out here and get treated like a fool.