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Slavery was the most emotional issue that existed around the Civil War (hence it being the most sounded and one that received the most attention). However, tarrifs that had been unfairly placed upon Southern states and the political power that they were losing to their Northern counterparts were the main reasons behind their wishes to part ways with the North (not entirely unlike the 13 colonies beef with England in the mid to late 1700s). There was a growing cultural and ideological scism between these States; slavery was an issue and it was the most commonly-held polarizing issue that the masses could most easily relate to in offering their differences between their Northern or Southern brethren, but the fact was that it wasn't brought forth at any great lengths until the Civil war. Taxation policy, import/export issues, legislative power; these and a SLEW of others that boiled down to a difference in interpretation of STATE'S RIGHTS is what it was about.

Any historian worth their salt and EVERY book I've read on the civil war from lauded authors and historians pounds this fact into the ground.

Finally, if slavery was the main issue, then Lincoln wouldn't have responded as such:

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause."

Abraham Lincoln

The salient fact stands that the Confederate States of American wasn't established because of a overwhelming fear of losing slaves. It was established because of decades of political and economical inequity existed between Northern and Southern states and that came to an impasse. Nor did the Northern states declare war on the Southern ones to free slaves.

Yes, it was an issue, but not the main issue.

Just out of curiosity, what books have you read on the civil war that are framing slavery as the main cause of it?