After trying a combination of things to no avail,  I finally de-bricked my Sony reader.   I feel really silly, but off all the things I changed from computers to types of resets, I never changed the USB cord.  I kept thinking that was the problem, but since the cord worked with my other gadgets, I dismissed the thought. Well, finally I did take out one the zillion new cords I have around and it worked.  So the moral to the story is to keep your cool, and follow your first instinct in troubleshooting.  Chances are it is not the device.  Thanks to all you who wrote in trying to help me.  I should be ashamed of myself.