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A while back, I was very disturbed and angry to find sitting in my inbox a PDF file of Steve Harvey’s national best selling book: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.

You may think that you’re getting over some imaginary hurdle by not purchasing the book. And you may have even rationalized the reason why it was okay to print out that book and read it. I can just hear you now: “Steve Harvey has more money than God. He ain't gonna miss my few dollars!”

But no matter how you slice it, it’s wrong and it hurts us – all of us. You don’t want to work for free and neither do we. So please, please take a moment to think about the damage you’re causing artists when you chose to watch a bootleg movie or read a book for free off of the Internet. Don't want to buy the book? No prob - that's what libraries are for!

So that event got me to thinking about those literary talents that have disappeared from the bookstore shelves.

I wonder if we as readers had a hand in their sudden and swift departure into obscurity. 'Cause we can't point ALL ten fingers at the publishers.

As a reader, what part do you think you've played in the demise of an author?

Maybe you borrow books from friends, or lend yours books out? Are you a member of a book club who prefers to circulate two copies amongst the members - rather than purchase/or borrow the required amount from the bookstore or library.

Are you guilty of receiving and reading pirated books that were emailed to one hundred thousand people?

Did you read a book that you absolutely fell in love with - and then not tell a soul?

These are things we need to ponder as readers.

I would love to know which authors you're missing and wishing would come back and publish again?

As for me, lately I've been missing Itabari Njeri