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A review by noahtiegs
Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation by Andrew Marantz
5.0
Yeah, a very good book. Narrative journalism and me… we’ve got a special thing going on.
Anyway, on the book specifically. The first like four sections of the book were interesting, but not spectacular for me. I think that’s largely because I’m already aware of these online Nazis and fascists and the sites they use - but if you knew not a whole lot about it, I’m sure this book would be a great place to start. Also, the book was published in… 2019, I think? So it is older, especially by internet politics standards.
That being said, the last like three sections of the book… I mean, it’s some of the best non-fiction I’ve read, period. The narratives are SO compelling, and they paint such a great picture of how radicalization and de-radicalization happen. In addition, Marantz does such a fantastic job digging deeper into this radicalization and de-radicalization - is this just part of human nature? Should we forgive people? How much, and how? What should online platforms do? Is what we’re doing now good? It’s just… so good.
Anyway, on the book specifically. The first like four sections of the book were interesting, but not spectacular for me. I think that’s largely because I’m already aware of these online Nazis and fascists and the sites they use - but if you knew not a whole lot about it, I’m sure this book would be a great place to start. Also, the book was published in… 2019, I think? So it is older, especially by internet politics standards.
That being said, the last like three sections of the book… I mean, it’s some of the best non-fiction I’ve read, period. The narratives are SO compelling, and they paint such a great picture of how radicalization and de-radicalization happen. In addition, Marantz does such a fantastic job digging deeper into this radicalization and de-radicalization - is this just part of human nature? Should we forgive people? How much, and how? What should online platforms do? Is what we’re doing now good? It’s just… so good.