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The Butterfly Effect
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From best-selling writer Jon Ronson and the executive producer behind the TED Radio Hour and Invisibilia, Audible Originals presents a new seven-episode series, The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson.
[Contains explicit content] Free for a limited time, hear the story of what happened when the tech industry gave the world what it wanted: free porn. Lives were mangled. Fortune ...more
[Contains explicit content] Free for a limited time, hear the story of what happened when the tech industry gave the world what it wanted: free porn. Lives were mangled. Fortune ...more
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Audible Audio, 3 pages
Published
July 26th 2017
by Audible Originals
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A compilation comprising a number of short documentary episodes focused on the impact of free pornography, now so widely available via the Internet. We are introduced, through a series of interviews, to a young Canadian man who seems to have kicked off the phenomenon and we also get to meet others who are either involved in the production of the porn films or are otherwise impacted by them. A porn filmmaker rues the fact that a film he shot two months ago is already available for nothing via the
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Jon Ronson investigates the impact that free porn streaming sites like PornHub have had on the porn industry in the Audible Original audiobook, The Butterfly Effect. And it’s an a’ight listen.
As you’d expect, a lot of the people making money from selling porn via VHS, DVD, etc. lost big and there doesn’t seem to be much money in the more traditional types of movies given that a phone and an internet connection basically do for most nowadays! As such, Ronson’s conclusions are fairly mundane and ...more
As you’d expect, a lot of the people making money from selling porn via VHS, DVD, etc. lost big and there doesn’t seem to be much money in the more traditional types of movies given that a phone and an internet connection basically do for most nowadays! As such, Ronson’s conclusions are fairly mundane and ...more
Audio book narrated by Jon Ronson 3h 25 min
Once and awhile, I receive friend requests that state interest in friendship because of my "diverse reading tastes." I am truly moved by that remark because it is a challenge to "keep it fresh" Well, I am sure that no one, let alone me, would see me enjoying, let alone reading/listening to an audio book about the porn industry. But after reading a couple reviews, I was definitely willing to give "The Butterfly Effect" a try. Especially because it was ...more
Once and awhile, I receive friend requests that state interest in friendship because of my "diverse reading tastes." I am truly moved by that remark because it is a challenge to "keep it fresh" Well, I am sure that no one, let alone me, would see me enjoying, let alone reading/listening to an audio book about the porn industry. But after reading a couple reviews, I was definitely willing to give "The Butterfly Effect" a try. Especially because it was ...more
THANK YOU, Audible for this free book! WOW! I honestly don't know how to express my feelings about my experience with this book. It is the first book I've ever listened to from start to finish in one "sitting". I was absolutely sucked into this, and was completely unaware of the affects that free porn has had on people and society. I guess I just never gave it a second thought. My mind was blown away by certain things I heard... Saddened by others... And even smiled at times. Boy, I will certain
...more
198. This was available free through Audible. The subtitle is “Who Really Pays the Price for Porn?” This was something I wasn't expecting or even thought about before but in all seriousness this appears to be a problem. I listed the book as an expose or an investigation on the subject of Porn and it was not only educational but enlightening. I recommend this work as awareness reading, you may not think it necessary but you never know.
Jon Ronson is like Mary Roach, who writes quirky little non-fiction books exploring some ostensibly fascinating topic with a sense of humor. You'd think a series about the porn industry and the unexpected effects of streaming porn would be more interesting than it is, but I found his analysis, such as it is, to be fairly shallow. Mostly this series of Audible podcasts follows a number of interesting anecdotes, staring with the founder of Pornhub, which apparently accounts for a majority of all p
...more
I picked this up for free on Audible and I have to admit I find documentaries and interviews on taboo subjects fascinating. This is a collection of interviews and author thoughts about the porn industry and the way that it developed after the introduction of free online porn streaming. Personally I don't know too much about how the industry evolved other than that it has become easier than ever to access porn online, but I had heard of some of the sites quoted and referenced in this series, and
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This is why Jon Ronson is the best journalist since Mike Royko. Jon, you magnificent son of a gunna. You tricked me into listening to my first podcast. I still think they are kind of cheesy and all I can picture is a team of douche power suits editing episodes to make them as sensational as possible to keep you coming back for more. What I've always loved about Jon is that he investigates topics that interest him and each one splinters off into a million different areas of interest. I try to rem
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I'm not quite sure why I decided to listen to this. I've heard of Jon Ronson (which I always want to mispronounce as Ron Jonson) and have seen his work advertised, and I think this one was free.
If you ever wanted to understand the effects of "disruption" of industries because of things enabled by the internet, then this is an interesting example. The subject matter happens to be the porn industry, which might make you a bit uncomfortable to read.
It's really just a podcast series that has been c ...more
If you ever wanted to understand the effects of "disruption" of industries because of things enabled by the internet, then this is an interesting example. The subject matter happens to be the porn industry, which might make you a bit uncomfortable to read.
It's really just a podcast series that has been c ...more
As someone who is anti-porn and has seen and felt the negative effects it can have on people and their interactions with others, I found this fascinating. It was well executed and easy to follow. I really enjoyed how everyone's perspectives were shared in a fair and unbiased way so that I didn't get too caught up in any opinion. If you're at all interested in societies changing views on sex then I'd definitely recommend listening to this.
Bullet Review:
An example of a freebie that isn't complete trash, this is a fascinating insight into the way internet porn has changed the industry in ways no one could have expected - from the livelihoods of the porn stars and creators themselves to the young men and women who now struggle to perform.
An example of a freebie that isn't complete trash, this is a fascinating insight into the way internet porn has changed the industry in ways no one could have expected - from the livelihoods of the porn stars and creators themselves to the young men and women who now struggle to perform.
Well, it’s not an audiobook. It’s a subpar podcast, basically just a bunch of interview clips that aren’t given much insight. It feels pointless and honestly, you’re not missing anything if you skip it.
Thank goodness it was free.
Thank goodness it was free.
Fabian Thylmann should be as famous as Mark Zuckerberg. He launched an internet service which completely revolutionised its sector and made him possibly as rich as Zuckerberg.
The reason most people haven't heard of him is he pioneered free mass-streamed internet porn. A very important point made repeatedly here is the hypocrisy of people who use this stuff but want to have absolutely nothing to do with it, or the people who work in it, outside of the context of viewing porn. Thus, for example, ...more
The reason most people haven't heard of him is he pioneered free mass-streamed internet porn. A very important point made repeatedly here is the hypocrisy of people who use this stuff but want to have absolutely nothing to do with it, or the people who work in it, outside of the context of viewing porn. Thus, for example, ...more
Insightful. Uncomfortable. Saddening. There was a plethora of emotional responses to this audiobook. But one this is for sure; Ronson takes you to places where you feel out of your depth. His storytelling and reporting helped me to clarify a few thoughts in my head around the porn industry, challenged me on some misconceptions, and left me with all sorts of questions and thoughts to ponder on.
I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading it. It was free on Audible and it was only 4 hours so I decided to give it a listen and see if it was worth the time. I really enjoyed this story, if I had known what it was about I don't think I would have listened to it but I am glad I did. Jon does a fantastic job examining the link between free porn and the consequences of that on society. If you like non fiction/history and social science I would highly recommend this book. Great
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If you read The Last Days Of August, I recommend listening to this. It’s was originally a podcast by Ronson about the tech porn takeover that lead him o the story of August Ames. There’s lots of information and ideas that pop out during these interviews and sometimes it got a bit confusing but really excellent, as always
If you liked Freakanomics you'll love this! It is an honest look at how free porn changed the world for good and bad. The far reaching effects are beyond anything I considered. I read it initially because I'm forcing myself to learn about anything I've viewed as shameful, to help erase shame from my life (Shame is evil and corrosive) and found exactly what I was looking for.
This was the very first audio-book I have listened to all the way through. Controversial choice for the very first one. Don't know what that says about me.

I'm very intrigued by topics which are taboo or even controversial and porn seems to tick both boxes despite the times we live in today. This podcast is about the technologically advanced way porn has developed. From only being available in video shops in a shameful corner to only being a click away. This covers the creation of pornhub (basi ...more

I'm very intrigued by topics which are taboo or even controversial and porn seems to tick both boxes despite the times we live in today. This podcast is about the technologically advanced way porn has developed. From only being available in video shops in a shameful corner to only being a click away. This covers the creation of pornhub (basi ...more
Since this was a free offering from Audible, I wasn't expecting much, but being familiar with Jon Ronson's work, I should have known better. This was never anything less than fascinating.
"The Butterfly Effect" takes the shape of more of a podcast than an audiobook, and it reminded me at times of the well-regarded "Serial" podcast, but far better as I found that podcast to be somewhat overrated.
Each episode (there are seven in all) runs for roughly half an hour, each taking on a different effec ...more
"The Butterfly Effect" takes the shape of more of a podcast than an audiobook, and it reminded me at times of the well-regarded "Serial" podcast, but far better as I found that podcast to be somewhat overrated.
Each episode (there are seven in all) runs for roughly half an hour, each taking on a different effec ...more
There’s a discussion somewhere through this which suggests that it’s possible to create any story from this depending on the angle you choose at the outset. With this in mind, I think Mr Ronson has carried out an outstanding job here.
There are a couple of ground-breaking revelations contained within and I think this butterfly’s wings are stronger and beat harder that most through history. It’s difficult to discuss them thoroughly here without going deep into spoiler territory, but what’s suggest ...more
There are a couple of ground-breaking revelations contained within and I think this butterfly’s wings are stronger and beat harder that most through history. It’s difficult to discuss them thoroughly here without going deep into spoiler territory, but what’s suggest ...more
This was a really amazing audiobook. I've read a few of Jon Ronson's books and love the way he approaches these subjects. He's a bit like Louis Theroux in his ability to gain trust and honest responses from people.
Ronson humanises the porn industry by looking into the consequences of 'tube' sites like Pornhub. They have had some devastating effects, not just on consumers of porn, but all the porn stars, directors, studios etc that were able to make a living before the arrival of these sites. No ...more
Ronson humanises the porn industry by looking into the consequences of 'tube' sites like Pornhub. They have had some devastating effects, not just on consumers of porn, but all the porn stars, directors, studios etc that were able to make a living before the arrival of these sites. No ...more
Jan 10, 2019
Sara (A Gingerly Review)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2019,
audio-book-2019
Interesting listen if you don't mind the topic. Not exactly my cup o' tea.
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Jon Ronson is a writer and documentary filmmaker. His work includes the international bestsellers Them: Adventures With Extremists and The Men Who Stare at Goats, which was adapted into a major motion picture starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.
A contributor to The Guardian, Ronson is the author of the columns "Human Zoo" and "Out of the Ordinary". He writes and ...more
A contributor to The Guardian, Ronson is the author of the columns "Human Zoo" and "Out of the Ordinary". He writes and ...more
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“This series tells the story of a Butterfly Effect. Back when Fabian was a teenager in Brussels in the 1990s, he had an idea. Because of that idea some people in Montreal eventually started to behave differently. As a consequence, other people down in the San Fernando Valley started behaving differently, and so on. For a year, I´ve been tracing Fabian’s Butterfly Effect. If I kept going, tracing consequence through to consequence, where might I end up? To give you an idea of the places where I do end up, by the end of episode 2, a man in Norway will be paying some women to set fire to his stamp collection. By the end of episode 4, a child in Oklahoma will be forced to move to the edge of town. By the end of episode 5, a man will lose his life. But first, let’s go back to the flap of the butterfly’s wings: Fabian, a teenager in Brussels.”
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