Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy by Talia Lavin

27 reviews

donutcome4me's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Sexism, and Racial slurs

klsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

3.5

There was a lot I really liked about this book. The scary look into far-right infiltrative journalism really put me on edge. Lavin is incredibly brave and principled. However, much of this book read like a collection of well-written journal articles. The overall story lacked cohesiveness. I enjoyed each section independently ("We Keep Us Safe" was a standout), but don't go into this expecting a deep dive into the path of online radicalism. It's good as a more intro-level text of vignettes. Lavin's writing is strong, personal, and emotional, though I found it repetitive (and I spent a fair amount of time looking up words). 3.5 stars.

"To those who find themselves uncomfortable with the operation of antifascists outside the comfortable bounds of institutions and, at times, the law, I remind you that the French partisans of World War II were acting illegally, while the Einsatzgruppen had the full support of German law. We tend to like our noble lawbreakers to be comfortably in the past, where time and death have sanitized them into heroes, and to suffer those who struggle against injustice in the present only grudgingly, if at all."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Police brutality, Cursing, Ableism, Body horror, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Sexism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Misogyny, Transphobia, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Genocide, Death, Suicide, Stalking, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Islamophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Self harm, Slavery, Hate crime, War, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child death and Pandemic/Epidemic

catnapping's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

2.75

This book seems like it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. I wish it had included more of the author's personal experience infiltrating white nationalist spaces. Instead, it came across more as a disjointed series of lectures on the history & current state of white nationalism. 

While the history and background provided was important, it lacked cohesiveness and was in need of better editing. After one incident when the same phrase was defined three times in the span of 5 minutes the lack of both storytelling finesse and editing became pointedly unbearable. 

Given the heaviness of the subject, these issues made an already hard read harder. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Body shaming, Islamophobia, Bullying, and Racism

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Rape, Violence, and Stalking

Minor: Police brutality

keeganrb's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Genocide, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia

Minor: Body shaming and Misogyny

flufficorn's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

4.0

This book is not a traditional call-to-action book, and that is not a bad thing. This book is a series of informative, first-hand essays about the author's experience in online white supremacist spaces. The author plainly explains that the goal of this book is to inform so that we, the readers, can learn to identify radical white supremacy and call it out as needed. While call-to-action books are great, they don't work if we don't first understand when to act. This book should be considered the step before a call-to-action book. 

As someone who lives publicly as a Jewish person, I found this book informative, enraging, and a little sad. Hearing some stories about how people came to these movements, why they believe what they do, not only makes me angry, but makes me sad as well. 

I also learned a lot of terminology from within these movements, the difference between different white supremacy movements, and about events that these people cling to as proof that their world view is the one right world view. Because of this, I think this book is immensely important and should be read by anyone who says they aren't a white supremacist. 

The reviews about "I wanted this book to be..." are ridiculous. Open your mind, Broaden your horizons. That's what books are about. Duh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Violence and Sexual violence

meigs's review against another edition

Couldn’t get through this. I got about 1/4 of the way through and decided to stop because it was just too much. I think if you’re not aware of this stuff online it will be an important read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Racism, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Rape, and Violence

jonezzzing's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Hate crime, Antisemitism, and Violence

jckurtz's review against another edition

challenging dark informative fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Rape, Racism, Violence, and Antisemitism

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

3.75

 - I think it is important, when you can manage it, to look at horrible things straight on so you know what you're up against. That said, CULTURE WARLORDS is filled with some of the most horrifying and horrific things I've ever read, all the more terrifying because it's all happening right under our noses.
- I think if you've spent any time at all learning about (or experiencing) what the far right is up to, there isn't a lot of new information in this book. However, Lavin really does a great job of linking seemingly disparate ideologies, events, and social and governmental failures together to show how we arrived here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Hate crime, Homophobia, Police brutality, Murder, Suicide, Transphobia, Racial slurs, Rape, Blood, Racism, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, War, Islamophobia, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Stalking

kalifer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Honestly, this was a very sad read. However, it is very relevant in our society. Extremist are everywhere, and we have to be mindful of how they interact with the society at large. It's terrifying to me that these people are so hateful and disgusting. And I know they take joy in people feeling that way. It's just depressing that this is the world we live in. But I don't believe it's completely hopeless. Yet, I think it is important to take a break from such hatred, because if we do not let ourselves rest, we risk not being able to fight for each other. I hope the writer of this book was able to rest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Transphobia, and Violence