Sunday, November 3, 2019

Amazing, Jaw Dropping: Catch and Kill




Catch and Kill
By Ronan Farrow
Purchased copy

Review from NYT



I am posting my review a bit different on my blog on this post. Because I am afraid I will not do justice to the book, or the author.  I was amazed by the writing style and the smartness of the book.  I was blown away by the book's investigative reporting. I thought I knew everything about Weinstein. I was totally wrong.  First, I thought the book was all about the former producer. It wasn't. It turned out the book was about free speech, but not how you would think.

If you have followed the news in the past few years. And you are outraged by the news media, and the news outlets by "Catch(ing) and Kil(ling), stories instead of releasing them. Hence the title. The investigation starts with Weinstein. But the investigation leads on to other Catch and Kill stories which include, our present President, NBC Universal, Matt Lauer, Jeffrey Epstein, and the infamous investigative agency from Israel called, Ice Cube, AMI( Enquirer).

In the old days, there used to be real old fashion detectives for hire. Remember the old TV shows from Baretta, Starsky, and Hutch. Well, those are the old days. Now, they have people all over the world doing investigative work for the famous, and power through any means they can to find dirt through cell phone tracking, internet, and cyberspace.

Usually, reporters are not part of the story. But, because of the subject, His story had to be in the book. He discusses his sister, Dylan. His relationship with his father, and loving mother. Ronan is a very intelligent, and impressive young man. Like I said, I was blown away.

My expectations were low as it was after buying the book. I was just curious to read it because of the #MeTOO movement.  I was expecting a gossip book. Thank goodness I was wrong. I didn't know who Ronan Farrow was. I didn't put 2 and 2 together until I invested reading the book. I do wonder if he still would have gotten access if he wasn't who he was? But that is another discussion.

Ronan traveled around the world as a young boy with his mother. She was a social activist. She visited many underdeveloped countries. She and her husband adopted several children. It makes sense because after he graduated from college and became a social activist lawyer under the age of 20. He was asked to join the State Department under the Obama Admin. He just became engaged to one of my favorite podcast's personality, Crooked Media.

Ronan Farrow won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Weinstein case. He has changed the world by changing our thinking about female harassment in the workplace. Unfortunately, though it can go too far.


                                                                           


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