The idea of book burning presented in Fahrenheit 451 is not a new phenomenon. To begin, gather information about book burning throughout history.
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The Distant Past
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Why were books burned during the Qin Dynasty in China in 213 B.C.?
http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/China/BookBurn.html

What were the reasons for the Islamic time of burning?
http://www.harvardhouse.com

During the Roman Inquisition in the Middle ages books were banned for similar reasons. What are they?
http://www.bede.org.uk/inquisition.htm
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The Twentieth Century
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Why did the Nazis in Germany engage in book burning during World War II?
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005852

What are the common reasons that book burning still takes place in the 1990s?
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2294384.ece

Why were Hinduists burning books in India?
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The Future
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How many of these books banned during the 1990's have you read? What are the fears we need to quell and the leadership qualities we need to encourage to assure that censorship of books will not prevail in our future?
http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/banned.htm