Writing About Cool

What does the world “cool” exactly mean? There are several answers to this question. In “Writing About Cool”, Jeff Rice attempts to give it some definition by explaining its past and present meaning.
Rice says that “cool” has been typically associated with independence and rebelliousness. James Dean and Elvis Presley are two major figures that represent these qualities. After the invention of the Internet, however, “cool” took on a new meaning. The ability of the Internet to reach so many places at the same time captivated companies trying to sell products on a large scale. Words were manipulated in order to attract as many customers as possible. Rice contends that it is possible that the “rebels” of the 1960’s influenced the Internet. In this way, “cool” still is associated with ideas that vary from the norm. It is used by proactive entrepreneurs that attempt to influence future customers and make profit.
Rice also paralleled the idea of “cool” with connection. He believes that common words are used to bring people together, usually to influence and persuade.
At the end of Rice’s first chapters, he asks: How can writing be cool? and Can you write cool? I believe writing can be cool in the sense that it involves creativity, thinking “out of the box”, and connectivity between many people. Writing, especially with new media, can be used to present ideas across a network. I’m not sure if one can “write cool” because I don’t completely understand this concept. I don’t think one can write meanings (independence, revolutionary, rebelliousness), only that writing can be considered these meanings.