I’m on a bit
of Jon Ronson kick at the moment. A couple of months ago I read So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, which
was only the second of Ronson’s books that I’d picked, the first being The Men Who Stare At Goats several years
ago. Much like Louis Theroux – and yes, I’m sure they’re sick of the comparison
– Ronson comes across as having a congenial personality, and his writing style is
imbued with inquisitiveness and honesty. He seems to write exactly what he
thinks and feels, which is actually a very rare thing. I enjoyed So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed and it
made me keen to pick up some more of his works. Last week I sped through Them in next to no time at all and now I’m
into The Psychopath Test. Jon, write
more books please – I’m running out!
Anyway, Them is a really great book. It was
Ronson’s first book and, as the title suggests, it explores extremists such as
Muslim cleric and the Ku Klux Klan, but also conspiracy theorists like David
Icke and alleged world-influencing movements / organisations (the New World
Order and the Bilderberg Group). As you might expect, it’s a mixture of comedy (I
mean, David Icke’s lizard theory? Come on!) and horror (do the rich and
powerful collude to shape the world and participate in bizarre owl-burning
rituals?). The book has some fairly astonishing reveals, which I won’t give
away so as not to spoil the fun, but for the most part the reader is left to
reach his or her own conclusions. Fascinating stuff.
Expect my
thoughts on The Psychopath Test shortly!
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