Scan barcode
danheaton's review against another edition
3.0
This was a really interesting topic, and the book started off strong. My interest waned in the middle as Ronson seemed to wander through various stories that weren't as directly connected to public shaming. He brought it back by the end, but the less exciting middle act brought the book down for me a bit.
premat's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars... less awesome than the psychopath test, but still a fun journalistic romp. felt a bit dated - not sure if that's because I've moved away from net-centric content, or the zeitgeist has?
dylanhorrocks's review against another edition
5.0
One reason it's so hard to talk sensibly about the current wave of online public shamings is that everyone's trying to take sides all the time; bring up "donglegate" or #CancelColbert and most people immediately line up behind opposing barricades based on grand ideological or moral positions. So it's refreshing to read a book that pretty much sidesteps such issues and instead focuses on the human experience of both shaming and being shamed, online and in public. The result is funny, troubling, compassionate and utterly human.
Highly recommended, especially if you're someone who spends a lot of time on Twitter etc.
Highly recommended, especially if you're someone who spends a lot of time on Twitter etc.
monkeelino's review against another edition
3.0
First off, five stars for the writing style--this was an incredibly approachable and fast-moving read. Ronson pulled me in right away and his curiosity is infectious. This was recommended by one friend and then showed up as a surprise in the mail from another here on GR. Through a series of individual accounts of online shaming (authors caught plagiarising, men's private fetishes made public, tasteless jokes posted to Twitter or Facebook, a madame's client list revealed, etc.), Ronson takes us through his own evolution in thinking about public shaming. As first, he sees it as as sort of worthy renaissance whereby the common folk are able to right wrongs and call public figures to task. He wonders why public shaming ever went out of use. And then he begins to look at the darker side--the lynchmob-like mentality that becomes its own form of online bullying. The over-reactions to relatively mundane human mistakes. The actual repercussions to those shamed (from lost jobs to death and rape threats) begin to disturb him and he seems to feel a certain sense of guilt for participating in such efforts in the past (since I'm not familiar with him or his past, these were allusions somewhat lost on me). He then turns his inquiry toward how to survive shaming and what allows some "victims" to move on and others to barely function (some even commit suicide). It's ultimately a very entertaining read that seems to raise more questions than it answers and jumps around somewhat haphazardly which I thought diminished the more important insights just barely touched upon.
simonlitton's review against another edition
4.0
It’s rare for me to wish for a book to be longer, but this is one of them. Ronson starts off with some well-known examples of people being shamed on social media for real or perceived mistakes, and then moves on to discuss the history of shaming as social control, crowd psychology, and journalistic ethics. It’s all fascinating stuff, occasionally very funny, and mostly very balanced and considered. Ronson himself and his own media profile are integral parts of the story, and he captures well the confusion and feelings of fear and lack of control when people purposely misconstrue your point and the lynch mob descends.
His empathy occasionally wavers (he finds it hard to understand how a black female tech developer could feel intimidated at a conference otherwise populated almost entirely by white male tech developers), and I feel there’s scope here to go much deeper into the historical and psychological aspects, but this is still a valuable and worrying book. Recommended reading for anyone who’s ever judged another person.
His empathy occasionally wavers (he finds it hard to understand how a black female tech developer could feel intimidated at a conference otherwise populated almost entirely by white male tech developers), and I feel there’s scope here to go much deeper into the historical and psychological aspects, but this is still a valuable and worrying book. Recommended reading for anyone who’s ever judged another person.
kats05's review against another edition
4.0
Jon Ronson's writing is so accessible, so enjoyable that even when he researches quite sinister or dry topics (such as the manipulation of internet data), I can not put the book down. I vaguely remembered the tweet by Justine Sacco with the unfortunate joke about not catching AIDS in Africa if you're white and the way it went viral within no time at all. What I hadn't realised was the impact this had had on her life ever since; fired from the job, shunned by the entire internet and even ostracised by family who did not want to be associated with her or the ignominy she suffered as a result of that unfunny joke. Her life, as she'd known it, was over and from what I understand she is only just starting to rebuild her career and personal life, and this is years after the event. Meanwhile, everyone who was part of her public shaming has moved on. As Ronson says:
"With social media we've created a stage for constant artificial high drama. Every day a new person emerges as a magnificent hero or sickening villain."
because
"On the Internet we have power in situations where we would otherwise be powerless." , and more specifically on Twitter:
"The people who mattered were the people on Twitter. On Twitter we make our own decisions about who deserves obliteration. We form our own consensus, and we aren't being influenced by the criminal justice system or the media. This makes us formidable."
What Ronson investigates in this book is how the shaming escalates and how the "shamees" have different coping strategies. Some are broken, driven to distraction with their personal and professional lives left in ruins, and a few others come out the other side unscathed. Secondly, what is it that the public reacts to most strongly, ie. what is considered shameful behaviour on the internet, and what seems to be more easily forgiven. Thirdly, he shows the reader what people do to survive a social media flogging (I wondered why Justine Sacco and Lindsey Stone didn't change their names by deed poll in order to move on with their lives) and how to avoid it altogether.
"We were creating a world where the smartest way to survive is to be bland."
Finally, Ronson touches on the ugly truth that companies like Google actually benefit from these outrageous public shamings as illustrated by the search stats pertaining to Justine Sacco in December 2012 (Google earned a minimum of "$120'000 from the destruction of Justine Sacco.") despite their motto of "Don't be evil".
It certainly makes me not want to use their search engine anymore knowing that every time I enter a search term they earn as much as $0.38, and often it's more than that.
The book is an eye-opener, and it's very thought provoking considering how each and every one of us has a responsibility on the internet, especially when it comes to sharing bad news or retweeting offensive material.
We don't feel accountable during a shaming because "a snowflake never feels responsible for the avalanche". As Ronson's research and interview subjects can demonstrate, the snowflakes among us must start to exercise more caution and be less judgmental.
"With social media we've created a stage for constant artificial high drama. Every day a new person emerges as a magnificent hero or sickening villain."
because
"On the Internet we have power in situations where we would otherwise be powerless." , and more specifically on Twitter:
"The people who mattered were the people on Twitter. On Twitter we make our own decisions about who deserves obliteration. We form our own consensus, and we aren't being influenced by the criminal justice system or the media. This makes us formidable."
What Ronson investigates in this book is how the shaming escalates and how the "shamees" have different coping strategies. Some are broken, driven to distraction with their personal and professional lives left in ruins, and a few others come out the other side unscathed. Secondly, what is it that the public reacts to most strongly, ie. what is considered shameful behaviour on the internet, and what seems to be more easily forgiven. Thirdly, he shows the reader what people do to survive a social media flogging (I wondered why Justine Sacco and Lindsey Stone didn't change their names by deed poll in order to move on with their lives) and how to avoid it altogether.
"We were creating a world where the smartest way to survive is to be bland."
Finally, Ronson touches on the ugly truth that companies like Google actually benefit from these outrageous public shamings as illustrated by the search stats pertaining to Justine Sacco in December 2012 (Google earned a minimum of "$120'000 from the destruction of Justine Sacco.") despite their motto of "Don't be evil".
It certainly makes me not want to use their search engine anymore knowing that every time I enter a search term they earn as much as $0.38, and often it's more than that.
The book is an eye-opener, and it's very thought provoking considering how each and every one of us has a responsibility on the internet, especially when it comes to sharing bad news or retweeting offensive material.
We don't feel accountable during a shaming because "a snowflake never feels responsible for the avalanche". As Ronson's research and interview subjects can demonstrate, the snowflakes among us must start to exercise more caution and be less judgmental.
jonnybrick's review against another edition
4.0
Monica Lewinsky and lots of other characters talk about the digital guillotine of being shamed online. Think before you tweet.
grumpalaurus's review against another edition
4.0
Jon Ronson has yet to put out a book I haven't enjoyed. This one examines the resurgence of public shaming in the age of Twitter and Internet trolls, while also presenting larger ideas about the nature and effect of shame. It made me think about the power of perception and public opinion in a way I hadn't before.