Sean D. Moore

Great subject matter and the title of this book really drew my interest. As an archivist who is passionate about the history of both archival work and that of the development of libraries in North America, I couldn't wait to open the cover and dive in. But what a disappointment I had in store. Yes, the book ties together the Atlantic slave trade with the establishment of proprietary libraries in Colonial America, without a doubt. But when it comes to the literary criticism and the development of political thought, particularly around slavery vs. abolitionism and public funding vs. private philanthropy -- oh my, its a bunch of academic word smithing that is hardly comprehensible. While I believe that author has a huge point about America's regression and fanaticism of Colonial Era small government and community leaders coming together in private non-profits to address the needs (intellectual, social, and survival needs of the poor) of their towns. But the message gets lost. Clearly the audience for this book was solely others in academy and not meant to reach a broad citizenry. Too expensive to purchase...if you want to take a stab at reading this, borrow it from the library!… (altro)