Review #7 So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
So You've Been Publicly Shamed - Jon Ronson
MacMillan (2015)
“We are defining the boundaries of normality by tearing apart the people outside it.”
When it comes to me and books, I'm either at a loss for things to read, or a book has come at the right time in my life. This has happened to me on numerous occasions and, luckily for you readers, has happened again this week, Sunday to be exact, even though the book was only released two months ago.
This books follows Jon Ronson as he travels the world for three years, finding stories and victimized people that have fallen prey to different forms of public shame on the Internet through social networks. These real life occurrences help to keep the book interesting yet honest, showing that all of the facts are gotten firsthand and not tainted by the bias of the media, instead giving these shame victims the chance to tell their stories and explain their side for the first time.
As someone studying Criminology and Sociology, and with a good few years of Psychology behind me, this was seriously a breath of fresh air. The language wasn't over done and too fancy. I didn't need to go back and reread a sentence to make sure that I understood what was being said. And truth be told, I had a bit of a fan girl moment when Zimbardo was mentioned and even emailed. I seriously recommend this to anyone studying a social science, and I totally plan on trying to use it at some stage in an essay or an argument.
Not only does this book tell the stories of shamed people and how negatively it has effected them, forcing them out of their jobs, or scared to leave their homes, it also finds people who have been exposed in the media of something outside of the societal norm, yet have remained unscathed. At this point in the book, Ronson actually pinpoints sexism in the shaming of people and how women seem to have more trouble when accused of being a part of a sex scandal. Because of this evidence-that people can avoid public shaming- Ronson then decides to try and find out how that is possible, and how people can avoid being cyber shamed by networks such as Twitter.
Rich and full of firsthand information, real life stories and brutal yet sincere honesty, this is the first book that I have found difficult to put down in a long time. I actually had it read in two days, and didn't care about any of the University work I had due.
Sometimes reading non-fiction is a scary thing for people, I know it was for me when I first began, but I highly recommend this for anyone starting to branch out into factual books. It shows that it isn't a scary thing to do, and that facts and real life aren't that scary to read about (although living in the real world may sometimes differ).
I also found that it seems to be a book that applies to everyone. If you have been bullied, or you have 'stated your opinion' online, this is definitely the thing that you should read. In today's society it has become increasingly easy to offend or hurt someone without knowing it, especially as we can now hide behind our keyboards and not see the damage which we create.
This is a book that has made me want to be a better person and has made me question what I put online.
'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' can be found in your nearest book store, on the Google Store, your Kindle Store, or just about any app that sells books.
I hope you've enjoyed this review. For 2016 we will be having some surprise posts, but until then we will be trying to read and update as much as possible. Thank you again, and please don't hesitate to contact us. Links and comment box are below.
So You've Been Publicly Shamed - Jon Ronson
MacMillan (2015)
“We are defining the boundaries of normality by tearing apart the people outside it.”
This books follows Jon Ronson as he travels the world for three years, finding stories and victimized people that have fallen prey to different forms of public shame on the Internet through social networks. These real life occurrences help to keep the book interesting yet honest, showing that all of the facts are gotten firsthand and not tainted by the bias of the media, instead giving these shame victims the chance to tell their stories and explain their side for the first time.
Rich and full of firsthand information, real life stories and brutal yet sincere honesty, this is the first book that I have found difficult to put down in a long time. I actually had it read in two days, and didn't care about any of the University work I had due.
Sometimes reading non-fiction is a scary thing for people, I know it was for me when I first began, but I highly recommend this for anyone starting to branch out into factual books. It shows that it isn't a scary thing to do, and that facts and real life aren't that scary to read about (although living in the real world may sometimes differ).
I also found that it seems to be a book that applies to everyone. If you have been bullied, or you have 'stated your opinion' online, this is definitely the thing that you should read. In today's society it has become increasingly easy to offend or hurt someone without knowing it, especially as we can now hide behind our keyboards and not see the damage which we create.
This is a book that has made me want to be a better person and has made me question what I put online.
'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' can be found in your nearest book store, on the Google Store, your Kindle Store, or just about any app that sells books.
I hope you've enjoyed this review. For 2016 we will be having some surprise posts, but until then we will be trying to read and update as much as possible. Thank you again, and please don't hesitate to contact us. Links and comment box are below.
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