Official Review: Cyber Abuse by James M. Kauffman

[Juliana_Isabella]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cyber Abuse" by James M. Kauffman.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Cyber Abuse: The Dr. Laura Letter by James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. is a nonfiction book about the author’s experiences after an open letter to Dr. Laura was misattributed to him. As the author tells it, an open letter to Dr. Laura began circling on the internet in the 1990s. This anonymous letter called into question Dr. Laura’s use of the Bible to support her claims that homosexuality was an abomination using wit and satire. For example, the letter included questions to Dr. Laura about how one should find out if a woman is menstruating so as not to come into physical contact with her, as prohibited by Leviticus 15:19-24.

Although Kauffman did read the letter and forwarded it to friends, he never claimed to be the author. Despite this, his name was somehow attached to the letter, and he began receiving communications from across the globe about it. In this book, Kauffman shares about the letters he received, how he handled them, and what we can learn from his experiences of being cyberbullied by strangers in the early days of the internet.

As someone who was familiar with Dr. Laura but not with the open letter, I was fascinated by the circumstances surrounding the events described in this book. Kauffman still does not know how his name became attached to the open letter, and he continues to deny being its author. I appreciated how he approached this situation with both thoughtfulness and humor, creating a standard reply that included a denial of authorship as well as some of the wit present in the original letter.

I also admire how the author has analyzed his experience for us so that readers can see a bigger picture in what happened to him. The author received some very hateful responses to this letter, which often called his work as an academic into question on the basis of his religious or political beliefs. As most of the letters in the book seem to have been sent before 2010, they seem to foreshadow our current political climate in which ad hominem attacks and the refusal to actually listen to opposing arguments has become commonplace. The author is quick to point this out and to encourage readers to go against the grain by searching for truth in a post-truth world.

I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. From the good humor of the author to the stellar editing of the writing, I can’t find much that I would want changed about it. I would recommend this book only to adults, as it does contain some hateful language (in the messages to Kauffman) and references certain sexual acts. Kauffman’s writing is never inappropriate, but he does share his opinions and quotes messages he received, so readers should be ready for a variety of perspectives on religion, homosexuality, the meaning of morality, and the way people should treat one another in the modern world.

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Cyber Abuse
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[Amberlily]

Well that's not something you're going to hear about everyday. The internet is a scary place, who knows what people could be doing with your name! This sounds interesting and informative, might give it a try.

[shannonkate8]

This book seems rather interesting. Cyber-bullying has certainly amped up in the last decade so it would be a rather informative read. Going on my list!

[Rancy_Chepchirchir]

Cyber-bullying is a thing in our century hence relevance of this writing. Loved it from just reading the review and would definitely add it in my library. Thanks!