Is Shame Necessary?

It's time to give shame a good name. In this galvanizing, optimistic book, Jennifer Jacquet shows how, when used in the right way, it is the most effective tool of resistance we have.

In cultures that champion the individual, guilt is seen as the cornerstone of conscience yet it proves impotent in the face of corrupt corporate policies. The author argues that modern-day shaming is a non-violent form of resistance that can be used to bring about large-scale change.

In Is Shame Necessary? rising star Jennifer Jacquet shows that we have to use shame if we want to bring about political change and hold the powerful to account

In cultures that champion the individual, guilt is seen as the cornerstone of conscience yet it proves impotent in the face of corrupt corporate policies. Jennifer Jacquet persuasively argues that modern-day shaming is a non-violent form of resistance that can be used to bring about large-scale change. Shaming, Jacquet shows, works best when used sparingly, but when applied in just the right way and at just the right time, it can keep us from failing ourselves.

'Shaming is society's natural stabilizer and organic risk-management mechanism, and one that is ignored in modernity, particularly in the virtual world. Worse: it has been largely ignored by researchers before Jennifer Jacquet, whose book gives us an insightful treatment of a vital topic' Nassim Taleb, author of Antifragile