Ronson Wrap-Up

Well, this is it, folks.  We finally say goodbye to So You've Been Publicly Shamed.  (I'll probably at least refer to it as we complete the course, but we're done reading.)  I always feel as though Ronson doesn't quite know how to end his books.  He's a professional journalist, and I find the standalone articles he does for print and radio work to be excellent, but when it's a whole book, it's like he tries to smash so much stuff into it that ultimately he has no idea what his point was.  He's very good at pointing at things and asking, "Isn't this super weird?" but sucks when explaining how we can or should react to it.  The last sentence of this book is . . . okay, I guess, but it's not terribly revolutionary or enlightening.

So that's your job for the blog:  Come up with two major responses to the book.  They will be:

* First, a descriptive statement.  What would you end up saying is the major point of the text?  Pick one case or story Ronson tells, from anywhere in the book, that you think backs up your claim.  (Difficulty:  You can't use Lindsey Stone.)

* Second, a prescriptive statement.  What do you think is the single most important thing people should do (or think, or not do) differently after reading this text?  Why?

Post these, and scribble down enough of them on a sheet of paper (or print it out) so you remember what you said in class on Tuesday.  I'll ask you to do a little more work with them then.