Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury spans across time, culture, and morality to touch on a subject that is relevant to all civilized
people. The book describes a culture where books and
written material are banned. Communication is done through means of whole wall television screens and loud speakers from helicopters. The main character's wife is fully brainwashed by the whole wall televisions and she interacts with them daily.
The main character in the book, Guy Montag. Fireman in that town where the story takes place do not extinguish fires, but they hunt down people who break the law by possessing books. When these people are located, either through discovery or from a tip from another citizen, the firemen take the trucks out, burn all the books, and usually burn the person's house. A robot poison dog bites the book-owner and he dies.
Naturally, some people are obsessed to own books, because they know that knowledge and freedom to achieve success and independence lies in written material. People hide their books in attics and under the floor but they are all eventually found. The government doesn't want their citizens to be free to read and think for themselves for the same reason that slave-owners did not want slaves to learn to read. By keeping knowledge from a group of people, a ruler or slave-owner breeds oppression and holds the bound one in bondage.
Guy Montag, the main character who is a fireman, starts getting a conscience about burning books and killing people just because they want to read and own books.
This novel is so thought-provoking and influential that it was banned itself at one time. It is now open and considered appropriate for readers from middle school to adult. The book leaves the reader with the message that books and written material are important to citizens in a free society.