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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
This book is great if you just want to read about the Madness of some people. It's a quick read and I have already mentioned it to people to read.
fast-paced
I did really enjoy this book. The author puts himself in ridiculous or dangerous situations many times over, usually with people who are antisemitic (the other is Jewish), so I have to give him kudos for that. He tells many tales of extremists making silly mistakes.
He also tells stories that seem to be... humanizing, trying to make the extremists sympathetic. And sometimes he admits to discomfort with the level of tacit aid he renders while he is just there as a journalist.
It was a very entertaining listen. I only have two quibbles:
1) I feel that in his work, the author may have helped the cause of the extremists, and that he may be making them too sympathetic in this book.
2) I'm unclear on what the point is. What are we to take away from this? Is there some overall lesson? The ending of the book is surprisingly abrupt and seems like it may hint at some kind of lesson. I'm not exactly clear on what the lesson is, however. Maybe that the real extremists are those that jump to conclusions about extremists?
He also tells stories that seem to be... humanizing, trying to make the extremists sympathetic. And sometimes he admits to discomfort with the level of tacit aid he renders while he is just there as a journalist.
It was a very entertaining listen. I only have two quibbles:
1) I feel that in his work, the author may have helped the cause of the extremists, and that he may be making them too sympathetic in this book.
2) I'm unclear on what the point is. What are we to take away from this? Is there some overall lesson? The ending of the book is surprisingly abrupt and seems like it may hint at some kind of lesson. I'm not exactly clear on what the lesson is, however. Maybe that the real extremists are those that jump to conclusions about extremists?
Jon Ronson is an adventurous journalist with a particular interest in fringe politics and science. Although he has a very light-hearted and gentle tone, he has through his career gained access to some hard to reach individuals and groups, and uncovered some remarkable truths. I first became aware of him fairly recently, when his book The Psychopath Test was recommended to me. Then I managed to see him giving a live talk last month which was outstanding, and bought a couple of his older books while I was there. ‘Them: Adventures with Extremists’ was first published in 2001, but is still very (if not more) relevant now 15 years later.
The book is a compilation of anecdotal interviews with conspiracy theorists and members of extreme political groups, which Ronson was able to conduct during his search for ‘the secret room’ where the leaders of the world supposedly congregated to plot our future. Everyone he meets seems to have a different idea of who ‘they’ - the enemies and oppressors - actually are, and how they go about their ‘evil’ business. For a topic taken in utter seriousness by most, it is delivered in such an entertaining and clear cut way that it really makes a pleasurable, but nonetheless thought-provoking, read.
Ronson spends time with Islamic extremist Omar Bakri, members of the radically different factions of the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and conspiracy theorists such as David Icke, giving a humanistic view and interpretation throughout. He doesn't allow their ideas to define them; he is open and curious enough to get to know each as an individual, and to try his best to understand the assumptions their world views are based upon.
The reader is faced with some difficult scenarios along the way, which pose us inevitable questions about personal values. For example at one point Ronson (Jewish by upbringing and descent) is sitting in an unattended, unlocked car with thousands of pounds raised by Omar Bakri to fund the war against Israel. Put yourself in that situation: you have opportunity to prevent the money from reaching a cause you believe is fundamentally wrong. But is the potential immediate threat to your person a more pressing factor in deciding what to do? What is the stronger instinct, morality or self preservation?
There is a telling of the events of Ruby Ridge and Waco in the US, from the perspective of the Weaver family torn apart by the disproportionate actions of armed Marshals. Ronson cleverly leaves us to make our own decision as to whether the fault lies with a ‘new world order’ throwing its weight around, or a clashing of egos that got out of hand. It also leads nicely into a piece exploring the consequences of being labelled a ‘white supremacist’ or ‘anti-semite’, and the way in which the media uses such information to exaggerate and exploit.
Two of the most poignant adventures in the book are centred around Ronson trying to catch The Bilderberg Group ‘in the act’. In one of these, he accompanies Spotlight journalist Jim Tucker to a 5 star hotel in Portugal where ‘the group that rule the world’ were supposedly due to meet. An amusing sequence of events ensues, including them being followed by men in dark glasses and being given sinister messages by strangers at the poolside, yet they still come out with some leads that prove fruitful later on. The second is a visit to Bohemian Grove with radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, to witness the reportedly satanic owl burning ritual carried out annually by some of the most powerful people in the world. Once again, this adventure is written up with a lot of humour and had me laughing out loud, but it also does arguably contain some definitive information on what the gathering is all about.
Here is one of my personal favourite quotes from the book by one of the people interviewed:
‘Let's face it, nobody rules the world anymore. The markets rule the world. Maybe that's why your conspiracy theorists make up all those crazy things. Because the truth is so much more frightening. Nobody rules the world. Nobody controls anything.’
In summary, this is an excellent and entertaining read for anyone with an interest in the role of extreme political and religious views on modern society. It is balanced and non committal in terms of the conclusions drawn, but still provides some very unique insights. I have no real criticism to give on this book: it is scored as 8 purely on the level of its impact. I am looking forward to reading more from Jon Ronson in the near future.
For the original review and more, please visit my blog.
The book is a compilation of anecdotal interviews with conspiracy theorists and members of extreme political groups, which Ronson was able to conduct during his search for ‘the secret room’ where the leaders of the world supposedly congregated to plot our future. Everyone he meets seems to have a different idea of who ‘they’ - the enemies and oppressors - actually are, and how they go about their ‘evil’ business. For a topic taken in utter seriousness by most, it is delivered in such an entertaining and clear cut way that it really makes a pleasurable, but nonetheless thought-provoking, read.
Ronson spends time with Islamic extremist Omar Bakri, members of the radically different factions of the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and conspiracy theorists such as David Icke, giving a humanistic view and interpretation throughout. He doesn't allow their ideas to define them; he is open and curious enough to get to know each as an individual, and to try his best to understand the assumptions their world views are based upon.
The reader is faced with some difficult scenarios along the way, which pose us inevitable questions about personal values. For example at one point Ronson (Jewish by upbringing and descent) is sitting in an unattended, unlocked car with thousands of pounds raised by Omar Bakri to fund the war against Israel. Put yourself in that situation: you have opportunity to prevent the money from reaching a cause you believe is fundamentally wrong. But is the potential immediate threat to your person a more pressing factor in deciding what to do? What is the stronger instinct, morality or self preservation?
There is a telling of the events of Ruby Ridge and Waco in the US, from the perspective of the Weaver family torn apart by the disproportionate actions of armed Marshals. Ronson cleverly leaves us to make our own decision as to whether the fault lies with a ‘new world order’ throwing its weight around, or a clashing of egos that got out of hand. It also leads nicely into a piece exploring the consequences of being labelled a ‘white supremacist’ or ‘anti-semite’, and the way in which the media uses such information to exaggerate and exploit.
Two of the most poignant adventures in the book are centred around Ronson trying to catch The Bilderberg Group ‘in the act’. In one of these, he accompanies Spotlight journalist Jim Tucker to a 5 star hotel in Portugal where ‘the group that rule the world’ were supposedly due to meet. An amusing sequence of events ensues, including them being followed by men in dark glasses and being given sinister messages by strangers at the poolside, yet they still come out with some leads that prove fruitful later on. The second is a visit to Bohemian Grove with radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, to witness the reportedly satanic owl burning ritual carried out annually by some of the most powerful people in the world. Once again, this adventure is written up with a lot of humour and had me laughing out loud, but it also does arguably contain some definitive information on what the gathering is all about.
Here is one of my personal favourite quotes from the book by one of the people interviewed:
‘Let's face it, nobody rules the world anymore. The markets rule the world. Maybe that's why your conspiracy theorists make up all those crazy things. Because the truth is so much more frightening. Nobody rules the world. Nobody controls anything.’
In summary, this is an excellent and entertaining read for anyone with an interest in the role of extreme political and religious views on modern society. It is balanced and non committal in terms of the conclusions drawn, but still provides some very unique insights. I have no real criticism to give on this book: it is scored as 8 purely on the level of its impact. I am looking forward to reading more from Jon Ronson in the near future.
For the original review and more, please visit my blog.
I've enjoyed several of Jon Ronson's books. You can typically count on a few zany, funny adventures tied together with a thought-provoking (if not wholly convincing) thesis.
He hadn't quite gotten the formula down yet here, though.
Ronson comments sardonically on his time spent with a slew of zany people on the fringe. Besides the zaniness, there's not really anything that ties the chapters together. The one attempt at an overarching narrative is the idea that the extremists might actually be on to something - could there really be a room full of elite capitalists running the world? In the end it's just a conceit. Some of the stories (Mr Ru Ru?) don't fit in at all.
Plus, Ronson never quite seems to take his subjects seriously. Maybe that's the point, but mockery isn't really my brand of humor.
He hadn't quite gotten the formula down yet here, though.
Ronson comments sardonically on his time spent with a slew of zany people on the fringe. Besides the zaniness, there's not really anything that ties the chapters together. The one attempt at an overarching narrative is the idea that the extremists might actually be on to something - could there really be a room full of elite capitalists running the world? In the end it's just a conceit. Some of the stories (Mr Ru Ru?) don't fit in at all.
Plus, Ronson never quite seems to take his subjects seriously. Maybe that's the point, but mockery isn't really my brand of humor.
Well THAT was interesting and entertaining. I can't imagine the range of emotions Ronson went through spending time with the people he wrote about. At times I felt sympathy, other times outrage and others I wanted to reach into the page and smack someone on the back of the head. HOW!? was my least favorite person in the book a protestant minister when there were people wearing KKK hoods?
It is fascinating that so many people from across the world have the same beliefs about who runs the world. And oh yea, Alex Jones is a wackadoodle and has been for a long time.
Read this book! It is every bit as relevant and fun in 2020 as it was in 2002.
It is fascinating that so many people from across the world have the same beliefs about who runs the world. And oh yea, Alex Jones is a wackadoodle and has been for a long time.
Read this book! It is every bit as relevant and fun in 2020 as it was in 2002.
This book is a blast - if you're like me, you'll find yourself wanting to carry it around and read passages to anyone you can get to stand still for long enough. Some of the people that Ronson visited and profiled for this book are truly living in other worlds from the rest of us. Guaranteed to crack you up.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
This was a good book to read at the end of 2016, a year in which previously outlandish and extreme views became mainstream (Brexit) and the role of facts in political discourse became hazy.
Published back in 2001, it’s Ronson’s first book, and some of the chapters - particularly those researched and written before 9/11 - seem to come from a halcyon and innocent time. Imagine a time when Omar Bakri and Anjem Choudhary could be considered by anyone as nothing more than mischievous buffoons. Or a time when someone could poke fun at Thomas Robb, hapless leader of the KKK, as he tries to ‘rebrand’ the organisation for the 21st Century. It’s strange and sobering to think how much the world has changed in seventeen short years.
Ronson follows several unusual characters, including Thomas Robb, David Icke, and the late Ian Paisley, ostensibly aiming to establish whether they really are as crazy as some people make out.
Much of the book centres around his hunt for the truth about the Bilderberg Group. Nowadays the existence of this elite group seems to be a given, but apparently back in the late 1990s this wasn’t the case. Jon goes around with the late Jim Tucker, who at the time was dismissed by many as a crackpot because of his obssession with outing the shady group of hyper-powerful individuals who met each year in a secret location and pulled all kinds of internationl strings. Well in retrospect… it turns out he was right. In fact, what really struck me when reading this was the fact that the Bilderbergers have pulled off an incredible trick. Now the group seems to be pretty much out in the open, but (and this would have Jim Tucker turning in his grave) apparently no-one gives a damn. Perhaps we are all too distracted by Buzzfeed listicles and Netflix…. Or perhaps the mainstream media are being suspiciously quiet...God, I’m starting to sound like one of Them.
Unlike some of Ronson’s later books ([b:The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry|12391521|The Psychopath Test A Journey Through the Madness Industry|Jon Ronson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364166270s/12391521.jpg|14262366], [b:So You've Been Publicly Shamed|22571552|So You've Been Publicly Shamed|Jon Ronson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1413749614s/22571552.jpg|43062778]), this read less like a single piece of investigative journalism and more like several highly entertaining newspaper articles that had been stitched together. Ronson’s self-deprecating charm and hilarious insights are still out in force, but the general effect is slightly unpolished.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this, the same as with all Ronson’s other books. It provides some very hearty food for thought.
EDIT: I’ve just discovered that there’s an accompanying documentary to the book and that you can watch it here (for the time being anyway): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0p-e2ng0SI
Published back in 2001, it’s Ronson’s first book, and some of the chapters - particularly those researched and written before 9/11 - seem to come from a halcyon and innocent time. Imagine a time when Omar Bakri and Anjem Choudhary could be considered by anyone as nothing more than mischievous buffoons. Or a time when someone could poke fun at Thomas Robb, hapless leader of the KKK, as he tries to ‘rebrand’ the organisation for the 21st Century. It’s strange and sobering to think how much the world has changed in seventeen short years.
Ronson follows several unusual characters, including Thomas Robb, David Icke, and the late Ian Paisley, ostensibly aiming to establish whether they really are as crazy as some people make out.
Much of the book centres around his hunt for the truth about the Bilderberg Group. Nowadays the existence of this elite group seems to be a given, but apparently back in the late 1990s this wasn’t the case. Jon goes around with the late Jim Tucker, who at the time was dismissed by many as a crackpot because of his obssession with outing the shady group of hyper-powerful individuals who met each year in a secret location and pulled all kinds of internationl strings. Well in retrospect… it turns out he was right. In fact, what really struck me when reading this was the fact that the Bilderbergers have pulled off an incredible trick. Now the group seems to be pretty much out in the open, but (and this would have Jim Tucker turning in his grave) apparently no-one gives a damn. Perhaps we are all too distracted by Buzzfeed listicles and Netflix…. Or perhaps the mainstream media are being suspiciously quiet...God, I’m starting to sound like one of Them.
Unlike some of Ronson’s later books ([b:The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry|12391521|The Psychopath Test A Journey Through the Madness Industry|Jon Ronson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364166270s/12391521.jpg|14262366], [b:So You've Been Publicly Shamed|22571552|So You've Been Publicly Shamed|Jon Ronson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1413749614s/22571552.jpg|43062778]), this read less like a single piece of investigative journalism and more like several highly entertaining newspaper articles that had been stitched together. Ronson’s self-deprecating charm and hilarious insights are still out in force, but the general effect is slightly unpolished.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this, the same as with all Ronson’s other books. It provides some very hearty food for thought.
EDIT: I’ve just discovered that there’s an accompanying documentary to the book and that you can watch it here (for the time being anyway): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0p-e2ng0SI
A disheartening journey into the culture war between rationality and irrationality that is more germane to the world of 2017 than the early 21st century world in which it was first published. What once may have been amusingly alarming is now just alarming, as Ronson's Elephant in the Room illustrates. Paired with Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World, there's a solid case to be made that the follies and polarization of the modern age could have been seen from a long way off, when there was ample time, prosperity and consensus to do a better job of empowering and enfranchising people from across the political and socioeconomic spectra with superior critical thinking skills and compassion before the voices of irrationality could monopolize discourse.