My dad likes to tell a story about when my brother was just a toddler and started messing with something my parents didn't want him handling.
"Billy, if you touch that, you're going to get a spanking," my dad warned.
Billy reached out his little hand, stopping just short of the forbidden object. My father swears that he could see the wheels turning in his son's mind: "I know if I touch this, I'm going to get a spanking, but it might be worth a spanking if I could just touch it ONE MORE TIME!"
How many of us have had this same experience? As soon as someone tells us no, we're immediately inspired with a craving for the forbidden fruit. To quote my father, a man who knows a great deal about human nature, once more: "Everyone wants what they think they can't have."
It's worth remembering that this wisdom holds true for books. For an excellent example, read Judy Blume's introductory essay to Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers.
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