{"id":7209,"date":"2025-12-19T04:38:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T04:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/josephrauch.com\/therauchreview\/?p=7209"},"modified":"2026-05-09T23:06:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T23:06:05","slug":"problematic-authors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/josephrauch.com\/therauchreview\/articles\/problematic-authors\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It OK to Buy Books by These Problematic Authors?"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Problematic” is such a subjective word, isn’t it? If you’re liberal, you might find a conservative author problematic, and vice versa.<\/p>\n

Rather than trying to cancel all the authors whose views we disagree with, I decided to make this list about living authors who have allegedly and\/or admittedly harmed innocent people and communities with their actions, books or words. For you, the potential consumer of these books, the core question is: If I buy or even read books written by these authors, am I potentially contributing to the victimization of innocent people and the degradation of communities?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the biggest names and go case by case.<\/p>\n

The Former Friends of Jeffrey Epstein<\/h2>\n

As the media revealed an increasing number of famous authors who had a personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein even after his criminal convictions, I decided to make an entire section about these hypocrites. One of Epstein’s strategies for maintaining power was to surround himself with intellectual elites and celebrities. Authors in the Epstein files are partially responsible for Epstein being able to have influence all the way until his death in 2019.<\/p>\n

Noam Chomsky<\/a><\/h3>\n

Editorial Note: Above Feature Image Photo Credit to Ulf Anderson and Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported<\/a> that Jeffrey Epstein had assisted in the transfer of $270,000 between Noam Chomsky\u2019s accounts. Chomsky confirmed that this report was true.<\/p>\n

According to 2025 Epstein file leaks, Chomsky had a glowing opinion of Epstein<\/a>, the convicted pedophile sex trafficker billionaire who puppet mastered and funded powerful people across the world. The two were in regular contact until 2017, many years after Epstein pled guilty to state charges of solicitation of prostitution with a minor under the age of 18<\/a>. Chomsky has not commented on the 2025 leaks.<\/p>\n

Once a positively regarded academic, Chomsky is the author of many popular political nonfiction books, including “Manufacturing Consent<\/a>,\u201d \u201cHow the World Works<\/a>\u201d and \u201cOn Palestine<\/a>.\u201d At the time of publishing this article, Chomsky is 97 years old. It is unlikely he will be able to write and publish more books before his passing.<\/p>\n

After he passes, money from his books will likely go to his current wife, Valeria Wasserman<\/a>, who is in her 60s. His children may inherit further access to his book-related assets as well, especially if Wasserman were to pass.<\/p>\n

Chomsky has three children from his first wife:<\/p>\n