Unlike French scholars who treat questioning of Catholic Church religious dogma as engaged in primarily by the radical elite in the 16th and 17th centuries, Barbierato (early modern history, U. of Verona, Italy) argues that irreligious statements and practices were widespread throughout the population in the Serenissima Republic. Drawing on Venetian Inquisition archives in this major study of the varieties of religious deviance (even among clergy) in this period, the author focuses on the trials of those who transgressed, censorship in the production of banned books and their readership. Quietists were among the persecuted groups. Titles of 71 prohibited books in the library of imprisoned hatter/ 'free metaphysician' Bortolo Zorzi are listed. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)