Promotional Information

"Bruce Johansen's book comes to us at exactly the right time, when a war atmosphere has led to attacks on independence of thought and rational scientific inquiry in the academy, exactly the place where those qualities should be cherished. His book should rouse us from complacency and provoke us to join the struggle for the defense of our constitutional rights." -- Howard Zinn "The Right Wing is willing to destroy lives and sacrifice the First Amendment in their desperate effort to acquire and hold onto power. But thanks to the hardwork, courage and clarity of Dr. Johansen, and millions more of us, they will not succeed. Long live the First Amendment and all of our constitutional rights!" -- Roberto Maestas, Founder and Executive Director, El Centro de la Raza, Seattle, WA "Bruce Johansen is the kind of free-thinking writer who inspires us all. In Silenced! he reminds us that informed views are often uncomfortable and that there are things of vital importance only academic voices are equipped to say. Uniquely in print, he peers under rocks and examines the wider context to what we get to hear and what we're encouraged to dismiss. This is a book of our time by a fascinating author - don't miss it." -- Joy Porter, author of Place & Native American History & Culture (Peter Lang, 2007).

About the Author

Bruce E. Johansen is Frederick W. Kayser Research Professor of Communication and Native American Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is the author of twenty-six books, including The Global Warming Combat Manual: Solutions for a Sustainable World (Praeger, 2008), Global Warming 101 (Greenwood, 2008), Global Warming in the 21st Century, 3 vol. (Praeger, 2006), The Dirty Dozen: Toxic Chemicals and the Earth's Future (Praeger, 2003), Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Issues (Greenwood, 2003), and The Global Warming Desk Reference (Greenwood, 2001). Johansen regularly contributes articles on environmental issues to such national periodicals as The Nation, The Progressive, the Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic Monthly.

Reviews

Although many of these events will be familiar to anyone who follows the news, the important contribution here is Johansen's comprehensive analysis and synthesis of the debates surrounding each, his integrity as a scholar, and his engaging (occasionally humorous) writing…Silenced is strongly recommended for all libraries that serve students, teachers, and the general public. It could even be used as a textbook in courses dealing with current events, censorship, or education. It is a mighty fine and timely book.
*College & Research Libraries*

Johansen describes the cases of academics in the United States who have been silenced through firings, jailings, and deportations for challenging powerful interests through free speech, including historian Michael Bellesiles, who wrote about the role of guns in American society; Ward Churchill, whose unpopular views about the September 11th attacks led to efforts to oust him from the University of Colorado; David Graeber, the Yale anthropologist whose anarchist politics led to denial of tenure; and Sami al-Arian, the Palestinian-born Florida professor judicially hounded as a terrorist in spite of lack of evidence. Johansen also discusses how government restrictions on visas in the post-9-11 era have excluded academic voices from abroad.
*Reference & Research Book News*

. . . the author passionately depicts a world where educators and researchers are under siege. Focusing much of the book on specific incidents and the laws and policies that impede education and research, the author has compiled a contemporary portrait of the dark side of academic freedom in America.
*Reference & User Services Quarterly*