Youth Sex Book Controversy Spurs More Copies

It seems that the University of Minnesota Press has an answer for critics calling for it to cancel plans to publish a controversial book about youth and sexuality: Print more copies.

When word circulated that the university's publishing house was planning to offer "Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children From Sex," by Judith Levine, some conservative groups -- and a Minnesota governor candidate -- criticized the decision, arguing the book's topic of children and sex was inappropriate.

Levine had shopped her manuscript to publishing houses for years, but was repeatedly turned down because of the controversial topic. The university took it on and planned a print run of 3,500.

But since the story broke last week, demand for the book has been strong enough that the press will publish another 10,000 copies.

In the book, Levine argues that young Americans are often deprived of realistic advice about sex, and that abstinence-based sex education is misguided.

Levine also reportedly suggests that parents blow out of proportion the threat of pedophilia and molestation, denying their children a positive sexual experience. Even before the book hit the shelves, critics said she was condoning sexual abuse of children.

The criticism prompted the university last week to pledge an external review of its publishing department centered around the policies and procedures for acquiring, reviewing and developing manuscript for publication.

The University of Minnesota Press is an independent, non-profit auxiliary of the university, meaning it is a self-supporting department of the university. Less than six percent of its funding comes from the university, according to a university press release.