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belinda1979's review against another edition
3.0
Despite this book being a possible quick read, I found it so hard going. Parts of it were interesting, I wanted to put it down and give up so many times, but I am one of those people who has to finish a book no matter how dire it may be. I was a little disappointed as I was hoping it was going to be really good.
headingnorth's review against another edition
4.0
This was a refreshing perspective. Although I don’t agree with everything Charles says in this book, she makes some really great points about how we express ourselves on social media, and why. There is a constant need to show how woke you are, even though all we’re doing is sitting on our couches tweeting and retweeting. Some things get blown out of proportion, while serious issues go unnoticed (probably because they can’t be solved by tweeting.)
There’s a really interesting chapter about Rachel Dolezal and how those most outraged by her were the ones who propelled her to stardom, and how it distracted from the actual racial equity work she was trying to do at the time. She’s super misguided and kind of bananas in a lot of ways, but does it justify ruining her life?
Although the book was only 135 pages, Charles touches on the lack of nuance, the way we’re influenced by those around us, the emptiness of forced apologies and how they are a way to evade actual consequences, and how giving in to outrage and victim hood is a way of giving up control. She also talked about effective outrage, such as with the organization Stop Funding Hate, which pressures companies to pull advertising from irresponsible media and real-life channeling of outrage through voting, letter-writing, and protest.
At times, she was dismissive of issues that I think are worth discussing (i.e. the use of “nude” as a color in the beauty industry) but I agree that they don’t necessitate the same level of attention such as, say, police brutality.
All in all, I found it thoughtful and honestly a bit validating. I’ve been reducing my time on social media because I’m tired of the constant unproductive yelling and anger and she apparently is too. This is a quick easy read that I think is worth the time.
There’s a really interesting chapter about Rachel Dolezal and how those most outraged by her were the ones who propelled her to stardom, and how it distracted from the actual racial equity work she was trying to do at the time. She’s super misguided and kind of bananas in a lot of ways, but does it justify ruining her life?
Although the book was only 135 pages, Charles touches on the lack of nuance, the way we’re influenced by those around us, the emptiness of forced apologies and how they are a way to evade actual consequences, and how giving in to outrage and victim hood is a way of giving up control. She also talked about effective outrage, such as with the organization Stop Funding Hate, which pressures companies to pull advertising from irresponsible media and real-life channeling of outrage through voting, letter-writing, and protest.
At times, she was dismissive of issues that I think are worth discussing (i.e. the use of “nude” as a color in the beauty industry) but I agree that they don’t necessitate the same level of attention such as, say, police brutality.
All in all, I found it thoughtful and honestly a bit validating. I’ve been reducing my time on social media because I’m tired of the constant unproductive yelling and anger and she apparently is too. This is a quick easy read that I think is worth the time.
launb's review against another edition
4.0
Outraged is a magical combination of enlightening and entertaining. The potential minefield of a subject is made easier to chew on because of the great use of humour and straight talking approach,
The examples used are interesting and unpacked from all angles. Each example I read helped me think through my own beliefs and past actions.
Ashley Charles asks us to consider carefully when we use our outrage - her approach makes me think we have a reserve of outrage that is difficult to replenish and so we should use it wisely. This is a guide to social justice that will lead to real change.
The examples used are interesting and unpacked from all angles. Each example I read helped me think through my own beliefs and past actions.
Ashley Charles asks us to consider carefully when we use our outrage - her approach makes me think we have a reserve of outrage that is difficult to replenish and so we should use it wisely. This is a guide to social justice that will lead to real change.
launb's review against another edition
4.0
Outraged is a magical combination of enlightening and entertaining. The potential minefield of a subject is made easier to chew on because of the great use of humour and straight talking approach.
The examples used are interesting and unpacked from all angles. Each example I read helped me think through my own beliefs and past actions.
Ashley Charles asks us to consider carefully when we use our outrage - her approach makes me think we have a reserve of outrage that is difficult to replenish and so we should use it wisely. This is a guide to social justice that will lead to real change.
The examples used are interesting and unpacked from all angles. Each example I read helped me think through my own beliefs and past actions.
Ashley Charles asks us to consider carefully when we use our outrage - her approach makes me think we have a reserve of outrage that is difficult to replenish and so we should use it wisely. This is a guide to social justice that will lead to real change.
sarah_kearney's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
mogreig's review against another edition
3.0
So true. Social media has changed the way we relate to one another. Much more sorting and far less listening and tolerance. I'm still not sure that even knowing this is going to make people change any time soon.
filipacarvalho's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Fantastic book! It would be a good read for anyone fighting the fights on social media, but also for everyone who already agrees with Ashley 'Dotty' Charles point of view, but it’s struggling to put actual words, facts and examples to it, like I was.
elementarymydear's review against another edition
3.0
It’s no secret that we live in an era of outrage. Political views are more polarised than they’ve ever been, we have the world’s information at our fingertips, and frankly our brains are not equipped to work this way.
In this book, Ashley ‘Dotty’ Charles sets out to uncover why we get so easily outraged, the effects that outrage has on its victims, and whether or not it’s actually an effective tool. A lot of this discussion was incredibly thought-provoking, and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of interviews with people we have been outraged against, specifically Rachel Dolezal and Katie Hopkins. I thought a really good balance was struck between the kind of online campaigns that are actually effective and the ones that aren’t, as well as the always-timely reminder that many people – Hopkins included – are deliberately trying to provoke outrage, and that to respond is to feed the beast.
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As with any book about social media, it was inevitably out of date within weeks of being published. Even without the knowledge of events such as the January 6th insurrection, though, there was remarkably little about right-wing outrage. I think the context of online backlash about a squint-and-it’s-racist soap advert is very different when it’s placed next to the backlash of the casting of a Black person in a TV show, and it felt like an oversight not to be included here.
Ironically, I thought there were many points that lacked a lot of nuance. In one passage for instance, the author went on a rant about what she saw as tiny, inconsequential debates (specifically whether ‘guys’ is a gender neutral term, or whether ‘nude’ should be used in fashion and beauty). Besides the tasteless hyperbole at the end which I won’t repeat here, I would have really welcome a discussion about these micro-issues, and with a book so short there was certainly room for it. My two cents is that they should be discussed and welcomed, because they force the non-marginalised group to confront pre-conceptions and assumptions they have made (I was a pre-teen when the book Noughts and Crosses first opened my eyes to ‘skin-tone’ products being designed with someone who looks like me in mind, for example). It was a short passage, but I thought it was indicative of the single-minded approach this book took.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this book feels like an extension of the article that inspired it. In many ways it’s a manifesto, or a very long opinion piece, and there were so many ideas that could have been brought in to explore the topic further. That’s not to say that it’s not worth a read, though, as it still offers a fascinating insight into our online outrage.
In this book, Ashley ‘Dotty’ Charles sets out to uncover why we get so easily outraged, the effects that outrage has on its victims, and whether or not it’s actually an effective tool. A lot of this discussion was incredibly thought-provoking, and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of interviews with people we have been outraged against, specifically Rachel Dolezal and Katie Hopkins. I thought a really good balance was struck between the kind of online campaigns that are actually effective and the ones that aren’t, as well as the always-timely reminder that many people – Hopkins included – are deliberately trying to provoke outrage, and that to respond is to feed the beast.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
As with any book about social media, it was inevitably out of date within weeks of being published. Even without the knowledge of events such as the January 6th insurrection, though, there was remarkably little about right-wing outrage. I think the context of online backlash about a squint-and-it’s-racist soap advert is very different when it’s placed next to the backlash of the casting of a Black person in a TV show, and it felt like an oversight not to be included here.
Ironically, I thought there were many points that lacked a lot of nuance. In one passage for instance, the author went on a rant about what she saw as tiny, inconsequential debates (specifically whether ‘guys’ is a gender neutral term, or whether ‘nude’ should be used in fashion and beauty). Besides the tasteless hyperbole at the end which I won’t repeat here, I would have really welcome a discussion about these micro-issues, and with a book so short there was certainly room for it. My two cents is that they should be discussed and welcomed, because they force the non-marginalised group to confront pre-conceptions and assumptions they have made (I was a pre-teen when the book Noughts and Crosses first opened my eyes to ‘skin-tone’ products being designed with someone who looks like me in mind, for example). It was a short passage, but I thought it was indicative of the single-minded approach this book took.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this book feels like an extension of the article that inspired it. In many ways it’s a manifesto, or a very long opinion piece, and there were so many ideas that could have been brought in to explore the topic further. That’s not to say that it’s not worth a read, though, as it still offers a fascinating insight into our online outrage.