Books › Them
Them
352 pages
A hilarious, slightly unnerving road trip through the looking-glass of fringe beliefs and the people who hold them.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like tagging along with a highly observant, slightly neurotic friend as they stumble into the most bizarre and unsettling corners of society. The pace is brisk and episodic, reading more like a surreal travelogue than a dry sociological study. The narrative voice is incredibly distinct, wry, self-deprecating, and armed with a deadpan wit that highlights the sheer absurdity of the situations without entirely stripping the subjects of their humanity. As you move from one fringe group to the next, the mood shifts subtly from darkly comedic to mildly paranoid, making you question where the line between healthy skepticism and madness truly lies. It is a perfect fit for readers who love immersive journalism that explores the psychology of belief with both sharp humor and surprising empathy.
- Mood
- absurdist
- surreal
- mildly paranoid
- darkly comedic
- Tone
- wry
- self-deprecating
- deadpan
- inquisitive
- anxious
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the psychology of belief · humanizing the fringe · the search for hidden power · the blurry line of sanity
- The writing
- Conversational and deceptively simple, relying on sharp, deadpan comedic timing to highlight the absurdity of extreme situations.
- The arc
- Begins with bemused, detached curiosity and slowly spirals into a mild, empathetic paranoia before settling into a sobering realization about human nature.
- Who it's for
- Fans of immersive, gonzo-adjacent journalism who appreciate a narrator willing to look foolish to uncover the deeply human quirks behind terrifying ideologies.
Content notes
- antisemitism
- racism
- extremist ideologies
- conspiracy theories
About the book
In the tradition of Bill Bryson, a fascinating and frequently hilarious look at extremists around the globe, and the conspiracy theory that unites them. Journalist Jon Ronson, the mild-mannered but ironic observer, learns some alarming things about the looking-glass world of them and us. Are the extremists onto something? Or has Ronson become one of Them?
Description from Open Library.
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