What I Do: More True Tales of Everyday Craziness

I do hope Jon Ronson is well paid for his journalism if only to compensate his wife Elaine for his indiscreet (and hilarious) revelations of the everyday bickerings and point-scoring that punctuate their marriage and parenting. The humour of course comes partly from recognizing our own marital relations in theirs.

This collection, like the earlier 'Out of the Ordinary' has plenty of such domestic scenes, making the purchase worthy in itself, but we also have Ronson's brief and fascinating immersions into the worlds of two very different cult figures united by an almost sinister command over their participant audiences; they are the NLP founder Richard Bandler and the former DJ and presenter of 'Deal Or No Deal' Noel Edmonds.

On a serious journalistic note, Ronson explores the reasons for the suicide of Richard Cullen, racked by credit card debt. Asking the question 'Who killed Richard Cullen?' Ronson is forensic in his examination of the cynical behaviour of banks and credit card companies that target financially vulnerable people like Richard Cullen because they are more likely to be tempted by the lure of easy credit than those who are more financially sound. The outcome for many is a spiral effect of debt that can lead to misery or, in extreme cases like Cullen's, tragedy.

Whether you want to go to Jon Ronson for his self-deprecating humour or his insight into some of the more baleful and inisidious influences on the world, this collection should be for you as it offers good examples of both. ( )