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So You've Been Publicly Shamed Paperback – Illustrated, March 29, 2016

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 9,627 ratings

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Now a New York Times bestseller and from the author of The Psychopath Test, a captivating and brilliant exploration of one of our world's most underappreciated forces: shame.
 
'It's about the terror, isn't it?'
 
'The terror of what?' I said.
 
'The terror of being found out.'
 
For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made a joke on social media that came out badly, or made a mistake at work. Once their transgression is revealed, collective outrage circles with the force of a hurricane and the next thing they know they're being torn apart by an angry mob, jeered at, demonized, sometimes even fired from their job.
 
A great renaissance of public shaming is sweeping our land. Justice has been democratized. The silent majority are getting a voice. But what are we doing with our voice? We are mercilessly finding people's faults. We are defining the boundaries of normality by ruining the lives of those outside it. We are using shame as a form of social control.
 
Simultaneously powerful and hilarious in the way only Jon Ronson can be, 
So You've Been Publicly Shamed is a deeply honest book about modern life, full of eye-opening truths about the escalating war on human flaws - and the very scary part we all play in it.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Gutsy and smart. Without losing any of the clever agility that makes his books so winning, he has taken on truly consequential material and risen to the challenge….fascinating…shocking…Mr. Ronson’s gift for detail-picking is, as ever, a treat.” –The New York Times

“A sharp-eyed and often hilarious book…Jon Ronson has written a fresh, big-hearted take on an important and timely topic. He has nothing to be ashamed of.” –NPR.org
 
“A diligent investigator and a wry, funny writer, Ronson manages to be at once academic and entertaining.” –
The Boston Globe

“This is a wonderful book.” –Jon Stewart 
 
“This book really needed to be written.” –Salon.com

“Required reading for the internet age.”
– Entertainment Weekly

“With an introspective and often funny lens, [Ronson] tracks down those whose blunders have exploded in the public eye…
So You've Been Publicly Shamed is an insightful, well-researched, and important text about how we react to others' poor decisions.” –The Huffington Post
 
“Personable and empathetic, Ronson is an entertaining guide to the odd corners of the shame-o-sphere.” –
The Minneapolis Star Tribune

“It’s sharply observed, amusingly told, and, while its conclusions may stop just short of profound, the true pleasure of the book lies in arriving at those conclusions.”
 –The Onion

“Like all of Ronson’s books, this one is hard to put down, but you will absolutely do so at some point to Google yourself.” –TheMillions.com

“An irresistibly gossipy cocktail with a chaser of guilt.” –
Newsday
 
“With
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed Ronson has written a timely, interesting and titillating read for any Internet drama junkie.” –PopMatters.com

“[A] simultaneously lightweight and necessary book.” –
Esquire

"A work of original, inspired journalism, it considers thecomplex dynamics between those who shame and those who are shamed, both of whom can become the focus ofsocial media’s grotesque, disproportionate judgments."  –
The Financial Times

"[So You've Been Publicly Shamed] is both entertaining and fair -- a balance we could use a lot more of, online and off."  –
Vulture

“Ronson is an entertaining and provocative writer, with a broad reach …[So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed] is a well-reported, entertainingly written account of an important subject.” –The Oregonian

"Ronson is a fun writer to read...fascinating." –
Fast Company

“I was mesmerized. And I was also disturbed.”
 Forbes

"[
So You've Been Publicly Shamed] promises to be the most relevant book of the year." –FlavorWire

"I was sickly fascinated by the book. I think it's Ronson's best book." –Mark Frauenfelder for BoingBoing

"With confidence, verve, and empathy, Ronson skillfully informs and engages the reader without excusing those caught up in the shame game. As he stresses, we are the ones wielding this incredible power over others' lives, often with no regard for the lasting consequences of our actions." –Starred
Booklist Review

"Clever and thought-provoking, this book has the potential to open an important dialogue about faux moral posturing online and its potentially disastrous consequences." –
Publishers Weekly

“Relentlessly entertaining and thought-provoking.”
 The Guardian

 “Certainly, no reader could finish it without feeling a need to be gentler online, to defer judgment, not to press the retweet button, to resist that primal impulse to stoke the fires of shame.”
The Times
 
“Excruciating, un-put-downable…
So You've Been Publicly Shamed is a gripping read, packed with humor and compassion and Ronson's characteristic linguistic juggling of the poignant and the absurd.” –Chapter16.org
 
“A powerful and rewarding read, a book utterly of the moment.”—
The Hamilton Spectator

“Ronson is a lovely, fluid writer, and he has a keen eye for painful, telling details.” —
The Bloomberg View

“Fascinating and trenchant.” –The Denver Post
 
“[Ronson] is one of our most important modern day thinkers…[So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed] is one of the most therapeutic books imaginable.” – US News & Word Report

“Personable and empathetic, Ronson is an entertaining guide to the odd corners of the shame-o-sphere.” –The Houston Chronicle
 
“[A] satirical Malcolm Gladwell… an accessible, fun read.” – Everyday Ebook

"We love Jon Ronson. He’s thoughtful and very funny. [
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed] is a great book about the way the internet can gang up on people and shame them, when they deserve it, when they don’t deserve it and it’s great."  – Judd Apatow

"Jon Ronson is unreal.
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed –everyone should read that book. He’s one of my favorite human beings." – Bill Hader 

"[A] brilliant, thought-provoking book – a fascinating examination of citizen justice, which has enjoyed a great renaissance since the advent of the internet." – 
Tatler 

 
"A terrifying and keen insight into a new form of misguided mass hysteria." Jesse Eisenberg
 
"A fascinating exploration of modern media and public shaming… It's a great conversation starter. Is Twitter the new Salem Witch trials?"Reese Witherspoon
 

About the Author

Jon Ronson’s books include the New York Times bestsellers The Psychopath Testand Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, and international bestsellers Them: Adventures with Extremists and The Men Who Stare at Goats. He also cowrote the screenplay for Frank, which will be released in theaters August 2014, and which stars Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Ronson is a regular contributor toThis American Life and lives in London and New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Riverhead Books; Reprint edition (March 29, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594634017
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594634017
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 9,627 ratings

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Jon Ronson
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Jon Ronson is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is the author of many bestselling books, including Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie, Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, The Psychopath Test, The Men Who Stare at Goats and Them: Adventures with Extremists. His first fictional screenplay, Frank, co-written with Peter Straughan, starred Michael Fassbender. He lives in London and New York City.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
9,627 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and interesting. They describe the prose as readable and high-quality. The book is described as entertaining, funny, and witty. Readers appreciate the well-told stories and relatable anecdotes. The style is described as insightful and appropriate for today's blog world. The author asks smart questions and brings up good discussions.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

216 customers mention "Thought provoking"202 positive14 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and interesting. They appreciate the author's research and exploration of the topic from multiple angles. The premise is intriguing and serves as a good cautionary tale. The book provides details on the history of shaming and offers references for further reading. Overall, it serves as an entertaining read that stands alone as a challenge.

"...There are an abundance of angles and case studies in this book. It is definitely worth a read for any professional in PR, crisis, or media relations...." Read more

"...It also goes into some detail on the history of shaming, including the use of shaming in the justice system...." Read more

"...The message is extremely liberal, condoning sexually deviant acts such as homosexuality, sado-masochism, marital infidelity, pornography production,..." Read more

"...It's a book about shame, and how public shaming is being revived in our social media culture. Here is some of what I liked: *..." Read more

179 customers mention "Readability"176 positive3 negative

Customers find the book readable and engaging. They appreciate the high-quality writing and well-structured content that flows smoothly. The book provides valuable insights into current events and is worth reading for an overall understanding of the world.

"...It is definitely worth a read for any professional in PR, crisis, or media relations. I also think it is a good read—period...." Read more

"This book is a fast and enjoyable read on the recent phenomenon of large scale online shaming...." Read more

"This book is well written, with each anecdote well worded and carefully chosen to move the narrative forward...." Read more

"...Worth the read by itself. * At one point, Ronson points out how our culture has chosen reasons to shame differently then our ancestors...." Read more

85 customers mention "Humor"74 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the writing engaging and honest. The book provides a useful introduction to the topic of public shaming.

"This book is a fast and enjoyable read on the recent phenomenon of large scale online shaming...." Read more

"...From a purely literary perspective it was an enjoyable read...." Read more

"...I read a lot of books, and his are some of the most readable, enthralling books that I have come across...." Read more

"...My heart gave it five stars because it was fun to read. My head might ding it one, because it never really comes together with a coherent theme...." Read more

45 customers mention "Storytelling"32 positive13 negative

Customers find the stories well-told with a compelling narrative arc. They appreciate the relatable anecdotes and research covering a subject that is interesting. The writing style is accessible and detailed, making it easy for readers to understand.

"This book is well written, with each anecdote well worded and carefully chosen to move the narrative forward...." Read more

"...I felt he told the stories fairly and evenly. I loved that he kept his own personal feelings about the people and public shaming right up front...." Read more

"...I felt the book ended abruptly and without some kind of summary or speculation of where we go from here. Maybe that's too much to ask though...." Read more

"...Mr. Ronson tells an important story - or collection of stories. I applaud him for taking it on...." Read more

21 customers mention "Style"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's style insightful and honest. They describe it as a timely, thoughtful look into what it means to be shamed. The theme is appropriate for today's blog world and perfectly captures the zeitgeist. Readers appreciate the subtlety, edginess, and interesting topics covered in a quick, breezy read with a nice ebb and flow.

"...brings us a timely, and surprisingly insightful look into what it means to be shamed...." Read more

"...It's a fascinating look at where our world has gone, and one that Ronson presents a well-balanced view of...." Read more

"...This book gives a wonderful look about how just a few words on social media can forever impact someone’s life...." Read more

"...It was fast read, and Ronson's style is agreeable and easy...." Read more

15 customers mention "Intelligence"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book intelligent and engaging. It includes smart questions in interviews that spark interesting discussions. The author seems genuinely interested in his subjects and displays an almost tender approach. The book is written in an entertaining and intelligent manner, with an interesting personality that comes through.

"...His entire class has lead to many interesting discussions as his teacher seeks to bring awareness to many different social issues which I'm..." Read more

"...He also, does a great job of interviewing as well...." Read more

"...Seems genuinely interested in his subjects, to whom he displays an almost tender approach...." Read more

"...These stories span several years, and include interviews with people I remember the Internet going crazy about...." Read more

12 customers mention "Social media relevance"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book relevant for today's social media world. They appreciate its history and how it ties into current behavior. The book provides powerful insights into internet personality and is a must-read for anyone who uses social media, especially for business. Readers mention that before the dawn of social media, being publicly shamed was done in magazines.

"...It is a needed book for today's social media world." Read more

"...He also goes back before the dawn of social media, when being publicly shamed was done in magazines in newspapers...." Read more

"This book provides a real education on the effects of Twitter membership. It's a cautionary tale, for sure...." Read more

"...Social media is a wonder of the imagination, but often reveals the darker components of the personality. This is expressed very well in this book...." Read more

22 customers mention "Scariness level"11 positive11 negative

Customers find the book disturbing, shocking, and alarming. Some find it funny and enlightening, while others describe it as terrifying, devastating, and dehumanizing.

"...the internet in any social capacity not finding this book alarming, arresting, and enlightening." Read more

"...* This book is frightening, in just the right way. You won't be able to put it down, and it will likely change you in more ways then one...." Read more

"...This is a really well written, interesting, fun, disturbing book. I highly recommend." Read more

"...It is brutal and dehumanizing. I would not wish it on my worst enemy, regardless of their infraction...." Read more

Important topic, entertaining delivery, but ultimatley lacks substance—a missed opportunity
4 out of 5 stars
Important topic, entertaining delivery, but ultimatley lacks substance—a missed opportunity
The author has chosen their topic well—an exploration of modern-day shame—and the book starts very strongly. A Twitter bot hijacks the author’s online personality, “I was at war with a robot version of myself.” The many stories throughout are entertaining and varied with Ronson’s writing style accessible and breezy.Yet by the end, I’m left with an overall feeling of disappointment. The narrative jumps from one thread to another leaving more questions than answers. I feel entertained but not that much more well-informed about the topic than I did before reading.Side note: I’d love to know how much business online reputation management firms Metal Rabbit and reputation.com got from being featured in this book.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2015
    Author Jon Ronson learned his first lesson about public shaming when his identity was stolen on Twitter. His new book, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, begins with the story of how some young researchers had forged his identity on Twitter into what they called an “infomorph” or spam bot as an experiment. He found himself “at war with a robot version of myself.”

    Ronson eventually won his case in a long convoluted process that included a face-to-face meeting with the twisted academicians who claimed that the internet was not, in fact, the real world. Ronson had reluctantly made a video of the meeting and decided his only recourse was to upload it to YouTube. Commenters began crucifying the three identity thieves—some mercilessly—and eventually the academics took down the fake Twitter account.

    Ronson’s book goes on to explore the concept of public shaming and what it does to its victims in a series of well publicized citizen uprisings that begin in social media. It’s all about the swarm.

    There was the LA Fitness establishment that refused to cancel the membership of a couple who couldn’t afford to pay their membership after some financial setbacks. Chalk up one for the swarm on social media and a reputation hit for LA Fitness. The trouble with these social media stings is that they do not go away. Every time someone Googles “LA Fitness” the story rears its ugly head. The book is loaded with excellent case studies: journalist and author Jonah Lehrer (faked Bob Dylan quotes in a book), Justine Sacco (infamous PR pro who joked on Twitter she couldn’t get AIDS in Africa because she was white), Lindsey Stone (posted a mocking picture at the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier) and others.

    “They were being brought down by people who used to be powerless—bloggers, anyone with a social media account. And the weapon that was felling them was a new one: online shaming. The silenced were getting a voice. It was like the democratization of justice,” Ronson wrote.

    The book is fascinating because Ronson interviewed all these victims and told the story about how they lost their personal lives (and even jobs) due to a social media indiscretion from their perspective.

    Ronson also writes in depth about Michael Fertik and reputation.com. He convinced Fertik to take on the case of Lindsey Stone so he could follow the reputation recovery process through and chronicle the results. What was interesting was that, in the end, Stone gets a version of her life back but she had to become a different person to do so. I will admit I had my misgivings about Fertik’s work, but after reading the book I have developed a professional respect for his company. Unlike others in his sector, he has morals of sorts. The power of reputation as a business asset has long been researched by such organizations as The Reputation Institute, and the need to cultivate a good reputation is now a part of everyday business operations for savvy brands. Some of this cultivation resides in responsible social media behavior.

    There are an abundance of angles and case studies in this book. It is definitely worth a read for any professional in PR, crisis, or media relations. I also think it is a good read—period. We can all see ourselves a little in this book—our quickness to jump on the bandwagon when someone like Justine Sacco screws up and what happens when unscrupulous writers like Gawker’s Sam Biddle rally the troops to ruin somebody’s life in the name of being a watchdog. He compared his feat of helping to bring down Sacco to the civil rights impact of Rosa Parks. To me, that just cheapens what Rosa Parks accomplished. But, it is Gawker after all.

    Ronson says of Sacco's demise: “If punching Justine Sacco was ever punching up—and it didn’t seem so to me given that she was an unknown PR woman with 170 Twitter followers—the punching only intensified as she plummeted to the ground.” Ronson does portray Sacco as a pathetic character in the end—someone whose life will never be the same because of her social media screw-up.

    But he also takes a look at her social media history and how her habit of sardonic tweets had her walking close to the line before she got publicly crucified. He credits social media and people like Biddle (with large Twitter followings) with creating a feeding frenzy that is fueled by the anonymity and distance created by social media.

    Ronson wrote about the evolution of public shaming on social media: “In the early days, we watched celebrities for transgressions. After a while, it wasn’t just transgressions we were keenly watchful for. It was misspeakings. Fury at the terribleness of other people had started to consume us a lot. And the rage that swirled around seemed increasingly in disproportion to whatever stupid things some celebrity had said. It felt different to satire or journalism or criticism. It felt like punishment.”

    Ronson writes at length about the disproportionate consequences of internet shaming. “Shamings on the internet are not just. They don’t follow the rules of society that you have basic rights as the accused. You have your day in court. You don’t have any rights when you’re accused on the Internet. And the consequences are worse. It’s worldwide forever.”

    Maybe the most interesting piece of the book was a chapter on the subculture of kids that hang out on an app called 4chan to organize bullying campaigns. 4chan is mostly an unmoderated bulletin board with everything from bullying to porn to requests for help with cyber-attacks. One 4chan user described her typical cohorts: “a lot of them are bored, under stimulated, over-persecuted, powerless kids. They know they can’t be anything they want, so they went to the Internet. On the Internet we have power in situations where we would otherwise be powerless.”

    The scariest characteristic involved in most of Ronson’s stories? People who did not know how to or had no inclination to use their privacy settings on social media. This book is a huge case for social media responsibility education at every age level—from middle school to the corporate world.

    Perhaps the most disturbing chapter of the book was the explanation of how trial lawyers are taught to shame witnesses to win their cases. In the book, Ronson followed a group of expert witnesses through a workshop on shame avoidance. It doesn’t do a lot to bolster your faith in the judicial system.

    In the end, Ronson has given us an appalling but realistic look at the culture of public shaming and a road map, with signs, to help us navigate. Highly recommend.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2016
    This book is a fast and enjoyable read on the recent phenomenon of large scale online shaming. It also goes into some detail on the history of shaming, including the use of shaming in the justice system. I did not know, for example, that it took until 1952 for public whippings to completely disappear in the United States, when the state of Delaware stopped using its notorious whipping post.

    Ronson describes cases where people’s lives and careers were ruined because of a single stupid tweet or act (the shamers themselves sometimes were subsequently harassed and threatened). He offers only limited explanations why so many people participate in online shaming, and to what extent shame serves an important function.

    What’s clear is that cooperative behavior, in all of nature, significantly relies on the existence of negative consequences for non-cooperation. In humans specifically, the ability to feel shame and the act of shaming reinforce group norms – and without such reinforcement, survival-enhancing norms (say, incest taboos that increase genetic diversity) are harder to maintain.

    But both our biology and our social norms are quite obviously ill-prepared for a globally connected world. When Twitter users descend like an angry mob on a single victim, their collective actions can have a disproportionate effect – feedback loops (likes, retweets, links, shares) kick in on a global scale.

    Ronson spends much of the book talking about how to deal with the damage, once it’s done. I find it to be the more interesting question how system design (e.g. Twitter’s character limit and feedback loops) influences these effects – and how we can build a world where shaming fulfills a more proportionate social function.

    The most chilling takeaway from the book is this: We may look with horror at phenomena like public whippings, but many of the victims of online shaming would likely much prefer a day at the whipping post to the lifelong stains on their reputation an online shaming can leave.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Prahalad Rajkumar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exposes an important problem In the Social Media age
    Reviewed in India on July 15, 2020
    Today, it is very easy to reach the entire world via social media. Which means, it is all too easy to publicly shame someone. Jon Ronson exposes and highlights this problem, and how this affects people’s lives. A must read; it is everyone’s responsibility to make the world a nicer and gentler place.
  • Andy Cyca
    5.0 out of 5 stars Para todo el que use el internet, o redes sociales, o viva en sociedades del siglo XXI
    Reviewed in Mexico on March 10, 2018
    (Adaptado de mi reseña en Goodreads) Déjenme decir que si estuviera a cargo de diseñar cualquier programa de contenidos para educación media y superior, pondría este libro como lectura obligatoria. Habla acerca de la humillación, pero también sobre cómo y por qué puede ser usada como una herramienta, un arma, un castigo. Es acerca de cómo *nosotros* nos comportamos ante algo que *nosotros* no aprobamos. Es acerca de cómo nos vemos a nosotros mismos y a los demás, y cómo las redes sociales han marcado un antes y un después al respecto. En verdad, léanlo. Digiéranlo por completo. Estoy seguro que todos podemos encontrar algo de valor aquí.
  • Leserin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Um "mitfühlend" auszusehen, tun wir grausame Dinge. Wichtigstes Buch zur sozialen Medienkompetenz!
    Reviewed in Germany on July 30, 2018
    Zu schade, dass es das Buch nicht auf deutsch gibt, denn der Pranger der sozialen Medien ist in der Nation der professionellen Schimpfer auch ein gern genutztes Instrument - bei dem dem Benutzer meist nicht einmal bewusst ist, dass er es benutzt! Eine "kritische Meinung" hat in Deutschland einen hohen Stellenwert, aber oft übersieht der Kritiker, dass es keine Kritik ist, die er äußert, sondern (kaum angemessene) Anklage, Anprangerung, Erniedrigung, Zerstörung - und zwar ausschließlich der Menschen oder ganzen Institutionen, die er selbst auf eine "mächtigere", "privilegierte" Stufe stellt, und ohne jegliches Interesse daran, herauszufinden, ob seine Einschätzung überhaupt gerechtfertigt ist.
    Angela Merkel wurde seinerzeit gerne belächelt (auch publicly shamed übrigens) für ihren Satz "Das Internet ist für uns Neuland". Dabei hatte sie vollkommen recht. Natürlich können wir es bedienen - aber keiner von uns weiß, welche gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen und Probleme mit ihm auf uns zukommen werden. Das Internet verändert unser Vertrauen, unseren Anstand, unser Mitgefühl, unsere Entrüstung. Der virtuelle Pranger und warum wir uns so gern an ihm beteiligen ist eine dieser unvorhergesehenen Entwicklungen, und wie diese überhaupt erst einmal zu betrachten ist, dafür ist Jon Ronsons Buch unersetzlich. Am liebsten hätte ich es auf der Pflichtliteraturliste der Schulen. Denn WIR SELBST sind die Mächtigen und missbrauchen diese Macht, und dies müssen wir dringend erkennen.
  • marcio reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars A sign of our times
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 9, 2016
    In depth analysis of how social media interactions affect our behavior. It makes conscious of what we post on fb
  • Richard Schwindt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and timely.
    Reviewed in Canada on September 14, 2015
    For the first time writing an Amazon review I looked at the rating and noticed the words beside it: "Posted publicly as Richard Schwindt". Then I thought, "What will people think?" I have written many reviews and many books; most importantly for our purposes here, two on workplace mobbing. Every day I hear from people who were mobbed at work and sometimes in communities, congregations or peer groups. I always enjoy Jon Ronson's curiously breezy and curious prose about serious and complex subjects. And I marvel how he goes right to the source of the subject, treating topics that would elicit earnest exposition from most other journalists as something of a lark. This book was a must read for me and I came away impressed. He has as always gone right to the heart of the subject; tracking and recording the words of people who had been shamed, shunned and humilated on a grand scale. He asks about the impact of public shaming - mob action - on the targets, those who pile on and the larger impact on society. Is our ability to humiliate an individual on the grand tableau of the internet "democratization" or is it a force for conformity, stifling creativity and difference? Is there a growing formum for unhealthy righteousness that will drive real discussion underground by allowing silly or mildly offensive remarks to destroy people? These are questions we should all be worrying about. In the end - and this is Ronson's real strength - everyone interviewed turns out to be a thinking feeling human being, even those who have been reviled by millions. Some of them had been seriously offensive; some just silly but called out. Either way, the public opprobrium was the same. This is an important book and should be read by anyone interested in freedom of expression, human foolishness and students of social change and cohesion.