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webdoyenne's review
4.0
Fascinating...but profoundly depressing. Wondering if the author ended up with PTSD from spending so much time with so many reprehensible people.
zaxtreme's review
5.0
I was at simultaneously furious, deeply sad, flabbergasted, and fascinated while reading this book. I really want to unplug the servers of the social internet…
blankpagealex's review
4.0
The subjects of Anti-Social are trolls whose power is derived from their ability to gain attention. They care little about truth, fact-checking, or journalism - their only goal is to gather outrage clicks by being as loud as possible. So why dedicate an entire book to examining their "movement?"
Marantz does an excellent job of explaining why we should know about these individuals. They are smart and organized and they understand that the mainstream wants to categorize them as singular bad guys. Call them nazis, and they'll put forward their Jewish members to defend the movement. Call them hateful and their gay and minority voices will get louder. Marantz understands that there is more nuance to the alt-right, alt-light, and new right than the mainstream political parties and news outlets fully understand. Also, everyone is underestimating the power they have and are ready to wield to ensure white nationalist arguments remain in the national discourse. They've moved "the overton window" and they want to keep on pushing.
I'd encourage people to read this book. It's an informative and often times infuriating read, but it's enlightening to see what common decency is up against.
Marantz does an excellent job of explaining why we should know about these individuals. They are smart and organized and they understand that the mainstream wants to categorize them as singular bad guys. Call them nazis, and they'll put forward their Jewish members to defend the movement. Call them hateful and their gay and minority voices will get louder. Marantz understands that there is more nuance to the alt-right, alt-light, and new right than the mainstream political parties and news outlets fully understand. Also, everyone is underestimating the power they have and are ready to wield to ensure white nationalist arguments remain in the national discourse. They've moved "the overton window" and they want to keep on pushing.
I'd encourage people to read this book. It's an informative and often times infuriating read, but it's enlightening to see what common decency is up against.
futuredocmartin's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail