Massenradikalisierung. Wie die Mitte Extremisten zum Opfer fällt

by Julia Ebner

Noch vor wenigen Jahren zielten Extremisten auf den Rand, auf Einzelgänger und weit Abgetriebene. Doch seit Corona, dem Sturm aufs Kapitol, dem Ukraine-Krieg ist Radikalisierung zum Massenphänomen geworden. Als Extremismusforscherin will Julia Ebner verstehen, warum so viele anfällig sind für radikale Ideen, welche Strukturen und Mechanismen dahinterstehen und was jetzt endlich unternommen werden muss im Kampf um Gerechtigkeit und Demokratie.

Nach vielen Jahren wissenschaftlicher Arbeit, Recherche und zahlreichen verdeckten Einsätzen glaubte Julia Ebner ihren Forschungsgegenstand zu kennen. Doch mit der Pandemie beginnt eine ungeahnte Eskalation. Nun scheren in jedem Freundeskreis, in jeder Familie Leute aus: Massenbewegungen, rekrutiert aus der Mitte der Gesellschaft, entstehen – Querdenker, QAnon, Impfgegner –, radikal und brandgefährlich. Für Julia Ebner folgen intensive Beobachtung, online wie offline, wissenschaftliche Auswertung, riskante Undercover-Missionen, um den Bauplan der Massenradikalisierung freizulegen und laut Alarm zu schlagen.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Sociology, Audiobook, Society, Psychology, Social Issues

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2023

About the author

Julia Ebner, geboren 1991 in Wien, forscht am Institute for Strategic Dialogue in London zu Online-Extremismus. Sie arbeitet mit zahlreichen Regierungsorganisationen und Polizeiorganen zusammen, sie ist Online-Extremismus-Beraterin der UN, NATO und der Weltbank. Sie schreibt regelmäßig für den Guardian und die Süddeutsche Zeitung, war unter anderem bei Markus Lanz, den Tagesthemen und dem heute-journal zur Gast. Ihr Buch Wut. Was Islamisten und Rechtsextreme mit uns machen war ein SPIEGEL-Bestseller.

Reviews

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als Hörbuch gehört - sehr zu empfehlen, gerade in der jetzigen Zeit! Informativ und erschreckend.

[Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

While it may be an exaggeration, mid-way through this book I found myself thinking "has any journalist ever exposed themselves to such risks for so little new information gleaned"? I guess they have, but that doesn't make this book any better. To her credit, the writer is fearless in engaging with some of the darkest corners of the modern political or quasi-political discussion. However, beyond reminding us that horrible people exist in our world - and the book certainly presents a rich rouges gallery - very little else is gained. Assuming that any person likely to pick up a book of this kind is at least broadly aware of current events, I think it's safe to say we learn little that we didn't already know about these fringe groups. How widespread are they? What mechanisms spread their ideology? How effective are these? What factors encourage or impede their growth? None of these questions were satisfactorily addressed in my opinion leaving a feeling of superficiality. Sadly, this book shows that undercover journalism is only a good first step and without effective and challenging analysis will give us little beyond anecdotes. I finished the book feeling no better informed than when I began.

I will also note two factual errors that bothered me. In the chapter about climate change a Mr. Matt Ridley is referred to as "an elected member of the British House of Lords". While there is a selection process conducted exclusively among several hundred British aristocratic families to determine whom from their number will be included in their 90-odd representatives in the House of Lords, this is generally not considered "elected". Also, the chapter about transphobia refers to the "2022 Olympic Games" when no such thing exists. I think the writer means the 2020 Olympic Games that actually took place in 2021 but in any case not 2022. Unfortunate to see such carelessness.

[Tom J · Rating 2 out of 5]

its hard to imagine reading a book that's 200+ pages and learning absolutely 0 new information, but that's what happened when i read this book. have you been on the internet in the last three years? were you even slightly aware of how it interacted with politics? then feel free to skip this book.

ebner spends a lot of the book physically exposing herself to tremendous amounts of risk, she's commonly surrounded by people who hate her and what she stand for, with only a thin false identity stopping her from physical harm. this is tremendously brave! unfortunately it is in service of information that is readily available from the various groups. did you know qanon people believe a bunch of wild shit? well, i did, because i've seen them post it, and i didn't have to leave my house to find it. can you believe that russia is using disinformation? well, yes, because it has been an inescapable topic of discussion for about 8 years. can you believe that misogynists hate women? i would be shocked if you could find a single person who didn't know that.

the concept is worthy and ebner has a colossal amount of inside information and personal experience, but somehow it comes out to very little. if you're looking for an introduction to these issues then i guess that you could do worse, but you'd have to have just woken up from a coma to be surprised by anything in this book.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STERNE

CW: Diskussion von Rassismus, Fremdenfeindlichkeit, Homo- & Transphobie, Antisemitismus, Islamfeindlichkeit

Das war bereits das zweite Buch von Julia Ebner, das ich dieses Jahr gelesen habe und ich muss sagen, dass es mir auf jeden Fall besser gefallen hat als Radikalisierungsmaschinen: Wie Extremisten die neuen Technologien nutzen und uns manipulieren, obwohl auch das wirklich gut war.

An sich ist das Buch ähnlich aufgebaut wie Radikalisierungsmaschinen, die verschiedenen Strategien von extremistischen Gruppen an die Mitte der Gesellschaft anzuschließen werden beleuchtet anhand von unterschiedlichen Gruppen von radikalen Antifemisten über Impfgegner und Coronaleugner bis hin zu prorussischen Putinfans. Obwohl für mich nicht sonderlich viele neue Infos erläutert wurden, hat mir die Aufteilung und Erklärung bzw Vernetzung zwischen den unterschiedlichen Gruppierungen gut gefallen und war einleuchtend.

Zu Anfang hat mir etwas gefehlt, spezifische Beispiele aus der "gesellschaftlichen Mitte" in der die Sprache und Ideologie von Extremisten angekommen ist explizit erläutert zu bekommen. Das hat sich im Laufe des Buches gebessert. In Verbindung damit hat mir auch das letzte Kapitel gut gefallen, in denen Lösungsansätze vorgestellt wurden.

[Fern Banner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Another one where I realize it is written for those who are less online than I (yikes). There was a lot more description of these ideas than analysis of them, but what analysis was there I found insightful.

This book focused on a myriad of extremist views including climate denial and anti-trans rhetoric/transphobia. I appreciated these two inclusions among the more "typical" right wing ideas and conspiracies, and how the author related them to each other.

It was emphasised many times how social media and chat groups lead you down the rabbit hole of radicalisation. How once you join one extreme-leaning private chat (telegram groups were mentioned many times) you are bombarded with more and more invites to groups that draw further down the extremist and conspiracy rabbit hole. It isn't all just automated algorithms as it often seems.

Overall I thought this was an improvement over Going Dark

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am interesting, if frightening, account of how previously radical and extreme ideas are increasingly entering the mainstream – although as the author posits, do we even have a mutually-accepted ‘mainstream’ any more?

I found the individual accounts interesting, with the first-hand research offering an insight into the reality of these fringe groups, but didn’t feel much new was offered in terms of the ideas and workings of these groups.

That being said, I did enjoy the conclusions drawn at the close of the book about the potential ways we can address these issues, given how it can feel at times as though we’re heading down a dark road with no way back.

[Jamrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR; Many years ago, I voluntarily went down the UFO rabbit hole and came out clutching a copy of The Protocols of The Elders of Zion and it took me a long time to shake off the cobwebs of conspiracy I got caught up in. I think the overlapping conspiracy of Lizard people hit my bullshit detector pretty hard and my non-rabbit hold friends kept me grounded. This was pre-Internet so I cannot imagine how hard and fast you get trapped these days but I see it happening in real time to friends and families and you cannot fact check people out of rabbit holes. This is a point that Ebner makes very clear. This is a very useful book and rabbit-holers as well as anti-rabbit-holers would do well to read it.

The following review is copied from a Medium post: https://jamrock.medium.com/rabbit-hol... which contains links that are not carried across here.

I’m equal parts fascinated and horrified by the many overlapping conspiracy groups that are seemingly being groomed into one large mass of angry people. You only need to lead a single disenfranchised person down one rabbit hole because all of the rabbit holes are connected. I know this from experience, an experience which largely pre-dates the Internet. You cannot fact check people out of a rabbit hole. Once converted to a beleiver then their thoughts are faith-based not fact-based. You can do nothing but try to support people until they emerge from the rabbit hole. QAnon and Anti-vax rabbit holes are destroying families and society, I would argue and Ebner evidences thoroughly. More importantly these rabbit holes are being astro-turfed by extremist far-right wing groups which does not bode well for the present or the future.

The analogue rabbit hole I went down was UFOs. I wasn’t angry, or disenfranchised, I was simply into counter culture and grew up on science fiction. I wanted to beleive we had made contact. I was part of a music counter culture and got introduced to someone at a club shared similar music tatses but who also possessed all sorts of videos and magazines (mostly originating from the US) on Roswell, Area-51, government cover-ups, alien abductions and (somewhat bizarrely in hindsight) cow mutilations. I lapped it all up, suddenly it was clear: all of this information that I had so desperately wanted to be true, was being covered up as part of a vast conspiracy. Don’t even get me started on how deep down the Face on Mars rabbit hole I went. I ended up phoning Richard Hoagland to talk about this after getting his number from Radio 2! Now that I knew all of this, I could no longer trust any government, especially our own. This was not a hard sell to someone watching the British government criminalise free parties and make it illegal for “ten or more people to dance to series of repetitive beats”.

Once I was down the rabbit hole and attending conventions (yes, now I feel stupid, but that’s the point) I came into contact with other groups of people who wanted to enlighten me: it wasn’t just the UFOs that the government was keeping quiet. One of these encounters led to me being handed a paper copy (photocopied) of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a one hundred year old hoax, still going strong. A sci-fi buff with a love of the idea that alien contact had been made, was now being groomed into antisemitism. It wasn’t the only adjacent rabbit hole I got dragged down but given the person-to-person contact required, it didn’t take much for my friends, and later myself, to haul myself out of all the rabbit holes I had got stuck in and filter out conspiracy theory e.g. that Area-51 was housing alien remains, from actual conspiracy e.g. UFOs making convenient cover for testing of US military flights of stealth bombers.

With that understanding out of the way, I want to highlight the work done by Julia Ebner in her book, Going Mainstream. Ebner discusses various conspiracy theories and analyses extremist groups that have infiltrated mainstream society. It’s always good to keep on mind the difference between conspiracy and conspiracy theory. As a further example, QAnon adherents draw on conspiracy (Epstein and, before Epstein, Craig Spence) but these facts gets entangled in and drowned out by conspiracy theory (Pizzagate, Save the Children). This means that real, factual conspiracy gets hidden in obfuscation which leads me to believe that those actively conspiring benefit most from fanning conspiracy theory.

The remainder of the review is copied from my Goodreads review with a little help from ChatGPT.

“Going Mainstream” by Julia Ebner is a much needed, I would argue urgent, exploration of the rise of extremist ideologies in contemporary society. Ebner delves into the growing trend of extremist movements that are moving from the fringes to the centre of mainstream society. The book examines the tactics employed by these groups to gain traction and influence, shedding light on the dangerous consequences for democratic values and — crucially — social cohesion. Ebner’s extremely accessible writing style and analysis make this book an essential read for anyone concerned about the growing impact of extremism in our societies.

The book’s focus areas are

Incel Culture: The book delves into the increasingly disturbing world of “incels” or involuntary celibates, a subculture of mostly young men who harbor deep resentment and anger towards women and society due to their perceived lack of sexual and romantic success. Ebner examines how this online subculture fosters and amplifies toxic masculinity, misogyny, and even incites violence, as evidenced by some high-profile attacks carried out by individuals identifying with the incel movement.

** For anyone who has family members caught up in Incel/anti-feminist groups I absolutely urge you to read this chapter if you do nothing else.**

Far-Right Extremism: Ebner sheds light on the alarming rise of far-right extremist movements, parties, and ideologies in various parts of the world. She investigates the strategies employed by these groups to recruit and radicalize individuals, as well as their efforts to shape public discourse and infiltrate mainstream politics. The book provides an analysis of how far-right ideologies exploit social media and online echo chambers to spread their message and garner support.

Radicalization Online: Another critical aspect of the book is the examination of how the internet and social media have become fertile ground for the dissemination of extremist ideologies. Ebner looks into the methods used by extremist groups to recruit and radicalize vulnerable individuals, particularly young people, through online propaganda, conspiracy theories, and targeted messaging.

Tactics of Extremist Movements: “Going Mainstream” offers an insight into the tactics and strategies employed by extremist movements to gain mainstream acceptance. It explores how these groups attempt to legitimize their ideologies, camouflage their true intentions, and exploit social and political fault lines to broaden their appeal.

Impacts on Democracy and Social Cohesion: Throughout the book, Ebner highlights the dangerous consequences of extremist ideologies seeping into mainstream society. She discusses how these ideologies undermine democratic values, foster division and hostility, and threaten social cohesion within communities.

In summary, “Going Mainstream” provides a comprehensive provoking analysis of the insidious ways in which various extremist ideologies continue to permeate and influence our societies. By investigating topics such as incel culture and far-right extremism, the book serves as a powerful warning for readers to confront and counter the rise of extremism in all its forms. Or at least be better informed.

All the stars *****

[LR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE non-fiction books that don’t make you feel dumb! This book did a great job of summarising why people are susceptible to radicalisation and why they think the way they think. I loved how the book moved at a good pace, I never once felt like the points were being regurgitated to me, over and over again. I think this is a super important book in the mission to combat extremism.

[Ulla Scharfenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Massenradikalisierung" von Julia Ebner ist eine Sammlung von Reportagen in verschiedenen gesellschaftlichen Millieus. Von Corona- und Klimawandelleugner*innen über die Impfgegnerszene, "White Lives Matter"-Rassist*innen, Incels und Männerrechtler, Queer- und Transfeind*innen bis hin zu Putin-Trollen: die Extremismusforscherin beschreibt die Szenen und Akteur*innen und die von ihnen ausgehende Gefahr. Es wird deutlich, dass all diese Gruppen einen gemeinsamen, anti-demokratischen, wissenschaftsfeindlichen und verschwörungsideologischen Kern haben und es immer schwerer wird, Menschen zu erreichen, die sich in dieser Richtung radikalisieren.

Durch den Reportage-Stil ist das Buch spannend und anschaulich erzählt, enthält aber nicht soooo viel Neues (für mich war gar nichts Neues dabei, um ehrlich zu sein). Es eignet sich als Einstieg in die Thematik und warnt vor der Hyperpolarisierung der Gesellschaft. Im letzten Kapitel geht Julia Ebner noch darauf ein, wie der Massenradikalisierung etwas entgegengesetzt werden kann - das war für mich der beste Teil des Buchs.

Für Fans von Tobias Ginsburg, Annika Brockschmidt und politischen Reportagen.

[Lukáš Zorád · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, easy to read, good storytelling, all backed up by research and data. Worth to read, for me even better than Julia´s first book Going Dark. The flow of this book is truly nice, even though we are reading about worrying trends and realities.
When it comes to "solutions" or what to do, there is only one chapter and it only offers basic ideas, not elaborated in depth, but I guess that was not the aim of this book. In fact, that would deserve a book on its own. Overal, worth to read, even for advanced readers looking for more insights and understanding of radicalization. A must read for any young people who are trying to orient themselves in the topic.
What I also appreciate in this book, compare to Going Dark, is greater empathy and greater understanding of the author towards the people she interviewed. In Going dar, they were just objects of research, here we can see their human side and understand their motives better, which in itself is great first step into mending human relationships and preventing radicalization.

[alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly already pretty much out of date, and even moreso not comprehensive enough in its analysis, despite evident groundwork and a potentially interesting methodology, nor anywhere bold enough in alerting of the risk or making predictions resembling what came to pass re: X acquisition and all that followed. Felt like reading a very long article.

[David the cool book man · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5

It's tough to rate this one because I really like the subject matter, enjoy Ebner's writing style and commend the work and risks she puts in. But something about Going Mainstream just felt slightly off, I didn't feel like Ebner presented too much analysis, it felt very descriptive in nature. The book felt strongest when Ebner brought together a number of different ideas and came to conclusions.

Honestly I might be better off reading her academic works instead moving on. Nonetheless this was a good read and is necessary discourse in a world where these frightening views are Going Mainstream ;)

[mins · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting dive into several far right groups that operate mainly online but found the final concluding chapter a little lacklustre. great read as an intro to these subcultures but if you know a lot about extremism and radicalisation might be a miss!

[Lauren Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved ‘going dark’ and learned so much insight through the first book, but can’t say the same for this one. As many people have said nothing really new is gathered from this book. Repetition of the same issues that were addressed in the first book but with little new insight added

[Holly Gazzard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very interesting but like all non-fiction, I found myself drifting away in the last chapter. But nonetheless, a scary but important read!!

I do have a lot of respect for the author/journalist for putting herself in so many situations to find out all that info. I’m sure that’s not super fun.

[Jon Margetts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through undercover research into extremist groups, ranging from anti-vaxxers to incels and QAnon/Russian propagandists, Ebner maps out the route conspiracy theories take from inception in sub cultures to proliferation across the mainstream. As with Naomi Klein's book, Doppelganger, it's startling to read how so many toxic theories act in tandem to cut across traditional political dichotomies, and bring together people in an array of contradictory and harmful 'truths'.

Ebner's on the ground interviews with individuals deep in the heart of white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ groups adds grit to an exploration of extremist tendencies, making it stronger for the way it humanises (without condoning) those who crave validation and meaning - even if it means subscribing to dangerous, frequently anti-Semitic views of the world.

The book falls short in two ways. One is that it probably isn't in depth enough as to really satisfy readers of what is becoming a fairly saturated market: books on conspiracy theories, and so on. As said, the 'undercover' angle works well; I'd have preferred more of it, but it's easily understandable that with Ebner's growing fame and success of Going Dark, this line of inquiry is less available to her.

Second, Ebner's solutions are sensible, but perhaps miss out on the ways that our society has been chronically affected by austerity and under funding of public services. She discusses the way that extremist groups gain members through psychological acceptance and certainty - two things missing in our era of distrust in mainstream politics - but I felt could have contextualised her theories even more in the way Western governments have continually failed to meaningfully improved living standards, and have deeper societal and economic inequality instead.

That doesn't mean the solutions are incorrect - only that they won't solve the deeper underlying problems in society. Supposing that thesis is wrong: inequality and economic disenfranchisement don't create space for extremist views? It's possible but without an exploration of extremist groups in comparable western nations, it's hard to tell.

[Jai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly not really worth your time. Ebner is supposedly one of the most renowned contemporary scholars and researchers in the counter-extremism space, but this feels like a rushed retread of themes and encounters that we've seen in her previous books.

There isn't really a clear reason why Ebner wrote this book (beyond cashing in on her last), and the way that she absent-mindedly inserts herself into the various extremist movements we hear about here feel surface-level rather than providing any new vital information. There are some nice surprising stats on the amount of people that buy into certain extremist conspiracies, but her real-life encounters with these would-be believers feel perfunctory and decorative to the stats (which frankly we can just look up with a quick Google search). There is also a pervasive sniffiness in the writing - a sense that only idiots can fall prey to misinformation, or that only the wayward have inherent scepticism toward compulsory vaccine mandates and the like. Check her conversation with a London cab driver sceptical of BLM and you'll see what I mean.

The best chapters are toward the end of the book - particularly on the way that pro-Russia activists are leveraging various anti-woke, anti-LGBT narratives to corral people in the West to their militaristic cause in Ukraine, and also the chapter where she provides solutions to the ongoing infodemic. There are some inventive solutions, such as training up more 'superforecasters' who can anticipate huge world events that anti-extremism researchers can begin to pre-emptively provide concrete, fact-checked information around. These sections do feel increasingly like essential reading, but even this section feels a little phoned-in, as Ebner essentially gets all of these solutions from her mates.

There are essentially better and more incisive books in this space. I fundamentally respect Ebner as a researcher for her bravery in coming toe-to-toe with a lot of the conspiracists she writes about, but if this is the finished product, you kind of have to wonder was it worth all the danger in the first place? I'm unconvinced.

[R. M.]

A series of quick dives into various subgroups of far-right groups, particularly Q-Anon and Trump supporters.

In a lot of ways, Going Mainstream reiterates what is already a common observation of such groups; that they're interconnected echo chambers of disinformation and double-think. It doesn't bring anything new to the discussion, and while there are plenty of anecdotes and interviews, there isn't much analysis beyond "This group exists, and this person from said group said this".

However, the book shows the various ways the groups network, and the ways those networks interconnect to deep end the echo chamber. An example I found interesting was that the author was removed from an event she'd paid to attend, being told there was "no need to cause trouble", despite having attended the first day of the event without any trouble unfolding.

For me, Going Mainstream is only scratching the surface of the new reality of the new right, but with its stories and interviews with their direct quotes, I think it's a mostly digestible - aside from some choice quotes from group members - book for first approaching the issue.

[Angela Groves · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and informative look at how the last few years have seen extreme views and conspiracy theories enter the mainstream consciousness.

Through interviews and investigation into the darker corners of the internet, the author puts together tactics used to target those who are vulnerable, how the certain theories become fluid and reactive, and how overlap in theories lends legitimacy. She also explores how best to tackle the wave of disinformation, what we can do as individuals, and how governments and private companies can ensure we have transparency on the sources of the news and information we consume.

Vital reading for an age of disinformation.

[Andy Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was ok. At parts the book became more of a polemic than a real engagement with the groups and individuals. I was hoping that as a reader I would have got some real substance behind the lives/ ideology/ hopes and dreams of the extremists but I got a flavour of their ideology and mindset. There was a lot of input from those challenging them which is fair enough but the book really appears as though you’re going to have a deep dive into the extremist mindset.
Julia Ebner is clearly a decent writer and I will read her other books but I was a bit let down with Going Mainstream.

[Lauren Putt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and frightening read! Ebner really exposes extremism in all its awful and crazy forms.The fact that it is becoming a mainstream belief that Buckingham Palace is actually ruled by reptilians, and that the war in Ukraine is a hoax leaves me feeling very worried for our future. This book is really important at exposing the lies these extremists make and offers solutions to counteract it.

[José Dias · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book contains interviews from both spectra of the “causes fighters”. The last section of actions to take was particularly interesting. Imo, the book lacks a bit of coverage on the extremisms (and ocasional lack of tolerance) of people fighting for the freedoms, equality of treatment and openness on ecological and gender issues.
Nevertheless, it has en extensive collection of statements, notes and facts supported with sources, which is commendable

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a really good job of showing how intersectional these movements are, it’s very obvious when you meet people at pro Russian protests, they usually believe in many many other conspiracy theories and they usually belong to other fringe groups (they’re all very racist). She also explains really well how crisis are really good at fostering those ideas (people are scared so they hang on to ideologies that promise to give them answers) and how covid was a game changer for some.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this. It is sobering and terrifying at times, but an important read in the context of the age of misinformation. It also includes tips for how we ensure that we don't have splits in society (although it's generic, and doesn't factor in additional nuance around race, disability and gender). It's an excellent companion to Going Dark. Do read this.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good follow up book to "Going Dark" which casts light on extremist groups and how they operate, based on the author's undercover work.

This book talks about a new strategy that these extremist groups are using which has been very successful - they are making connections with mainstream groups such as established political parties and climate change sceptics and covid vaccine sceptics.

[Antek · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book provided a brief description of the general "anti-elite" and conspiracy theory groups, however does not delve deeper into the causes and psychologies of these movements. It feels rather as jumping from topic to topic, without a broader reflaction how to counter these movements (however the last chapter does provide some very brief answers)

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read if you're not already aware of current extremism, but if this isn't your first reading on the topic I think I can feel like the author was just scraping the surface of each topic. I'd have personally preferred in-depth discussions on fewer topics, but appreciate the lengths the author went to in order to get up close and personal with the extremists featured in this book.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read: a very personal account about an investigative journalist going undercover into extremist groups to uncover their stories and understand their rationale.
While broad in scope and met with facts, figures and anecdotes, it lacked something. I can’t quite put my finger on what though…

[Christoph Monschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lehrreich und schockierend zugleich. Julia Ebner zeigt auf, wie sich radikale Gruppen mehr oder weniger themenübergreifend vernetzt haben und über eigene Kanäle, Desinformation und Extremismus nähren und entwickeln.

[Nikolai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew this was going to depress me... and it did. Horrible people and/or victims of the Dunning-Kruger effect are taking over.

I, for one, welcome our new non-vaxxed, nanobot-free, black-pilled, pure human (non-reptilian) overlords who will, surely, take us to the promised land.