Them Adventures with Extremists

Jon Ronson — 2003

From the bestselling author of The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed. A wide variety of extremist groups -- Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis -- share the oddly similar belief that a tiny shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, journalist Jon Ronson has joined the extremists to track down the fabled secret room. As a journalist and a Jew, Ronson was often considered one of "Them" but he had no idea if their meetings actually took place. Was he just not invited? Them takes us across three continents and into the secret room. Along the way he meets Omar Bakri Mohammed, considered one of the most dangerous men in Great Britain, PR-savvy Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Thom Robb, and the survivors of Ruby Ridge. He is chased by men in dark glasses and unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp. In the forests of northern California he even witnesses CEOs and leading politicians -- like Dick Cheney and George Bush -- undertake a bizarre owl ritual. Ronson's investigations, by turns creepy and comical, reveal some alarming things about the looking-glass world of "us" and "them." Them is a deep and fascinating look at the lives and minds of extremists. Are the extremists onto something? Or is Jon Ronson becoming one of them?

Reviews

Beau@hyggeligbo

Feb 21, 2023

3.5 stars. 'Them' is a quirky investigation into the bizarre world of extremists and conspiracy theorists. I didn't find this as insightful as 'The Psychopath Test', but that might have something to do with the disturbing and more direct application points of that book - versus the distance I feel, from a social point of view, from the global elite and their secret societies which Ronson explores in this account. This book isn't entirely baked in theory; there are some very real experiences Ronson reflects on which shakes up one's views of the 1%, which led to some interesting background reading escapades I embarked on.

Andrew Louis@hyfen

Feb 6, 2023

Not gonzo enough to be entertaining; not substantial enough to be informative.

Magnus Hambleton@mangoham

Oct 6, 2022

Very funny character descriptions, with hilarious quotes from and situations with very extreme people. Simultaneously provides a human touch to people that otherwise get cast as a more extreme version of themselves in media, although the book does not in any way hesitate to illustrate their insanity. It's just that their insanity is very human and recognisable.

Tanya Sutton@mrsreads

Nov 16, 2021

Journalist Jon Ronson investigates various extremist groups and finds a common element - they all believe that a secret, select group of individuals meet periodically to choose world leaders, sway economic policy,and otherwise rule the world. To discover if this group does exist, Ronson meets with everyone from the Weaver family of Ruby Ridge fame, Omar Bakri Mohammed, who supports the Taliban from his home in England, to KKK Grand Wizard Thom Robb, and the even stranger David Ickes. To his surprise, not only does this group actually exist...but they grant him an interview... As hard as it is to believe sometimes, the people Ronson interviews in this book are real! Ronson does a good job showing off the personalities of these characters so you can really get a sense of what they believe and how strongly they believe it. It was, at times, a bit redundant, but I suppose that is to be expected, considering how similar the belief systems these groups are. And his interview with the alleged "One World Government" group is hysterical. This book was filled with some pretty interesting information, and it was written with a humorous touch, so if you enjoy reading about conspiracy theories and the nuts that believe them, this could be the book for you.