Them: Adventures with Extremists

By: Jon Ronson

Narrated by: Jon Ronson

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Them began as a book about different kinds of extremists, but after Jon had got to know some of them - Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen - he found that they had one oddly similar belief: that a tiny, shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, Jon sets out, with the help of the extremists, to locate that room. The journey is as creepy as it is comic, and along the way Jon is chased by men in dark glasses, unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp, and witnesses international CEOs and politicians participate in a bizarre pagan ritual in the forests of northern California.

Them is a fascinating and entertaining exploration of extremism, in which Jon learns some alarming things about the looking-glass world of ‘them’ and ‘us’. Are the extremists on to something? Or has Jon become one of Them?

©2012 Jon Ronson (P)2012 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"A funny, superbly controlled account of [Ronson’s] wanderings through the wonderland of fanaticism and delusion." (Brian Appleyard, New Statesman)

"This book is chilling and hilarious by turns. Ronson’s trademark laid-back attitude is a delight." ( Independent)

"A funny and compulsively readable picaresque adventure through a paranoid shadow world." (Louis Theroux, Guardian)

"Ronson plays up to his charming buffoonery... But he is an acute social commentator. He is compelling." ( Times Literary Supplement)

Entertaining and Enjoyable

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book though I wasn't really sure how to take Ronson at first. His humor is so subtle that I had to keep checking online to make sure he was talking about real people. Sly, laugh out loud funny at times, thought provoking... a great book for the times that we live in.

I love Jon Ronson's work...

This book (a series of articles, really) is a fascinating look into the world of extremists and conspiracy theorists. Ronson is funny and a little off-kilter. He makes me laugh out loud, and then makes me shake my head at some of the people in the world.

What you see depends on where you stand

It was a good book, and Ronson's sympathetic take toward the people he covers humanizes them as they dehumanize others. Whether it's racism, or anti-semitism, or anti-twelve foot tall lizardism, whatever group dehumanization you prefer, the point is that these people fail to see the flaws in their own absurd thinking while fabricating flaws in others. An old man pissing against a redwood becomes a satanic act somehow, while McVeigh's murder of more than 100 patriotic Americans in the Murrah Building is a proportional response to Ruby Ridge and Waco. And yes, if you attend Aryan Nations meetings, you are a racist anti-Semite. Just like Randy Weaver. SPOILER ALERT: it was Alex Jones who erased the footage on Ronson's video tape, in order to secure himself an exclusive, and he did it in such a way that would facilitate Ronson's conspiracy mongering.

I couldn't stop listening

I really enjoyed this book as it seems to have such great import at this time in our history. it details the fact that where we are now has been building for a long time and Ronson does a wonderful job of conveying Humanity while also sharing the reality of extremist perspectives.

Another enthralling five star audible from Ronson.

Filled with Ronsons warm, compassionate, self deprecating and gently humourous observations of those who inhabit the dangerous extremes of society. It was very difficult too put down.

A Very Interesting Plunge into Extremism

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

First, this book is narrated by the author, always a plus. Jon Ronson found a way to attach himself to some very interesting types, mostly religious zealots and New World Order types. Some of the information is quite astonishing. The author has a way of bringing the human element to these idealogy-driven types. SInce all of this is essentially a ramble through interviews and tagging along, it has a very in-the-moment feel about it. I could not stop listening. The author's fun voice is contagious and his wry observations about himself and these strange people he seeks out are compelling listening.

What other book might you compare Them: Adventures with Extremists to and why?

His genre is somewhat himself. In a weird way, he reminds me of Bill Bryson's first hand travels and stories about odd people.

Have you listened to any of Jon Ronson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. The Psychopath Test. They are very similar as the author tries to interview people on opposing sides of either mental health medical or religious zealotry. These books teach you quite a lot about archane topics.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Prophets are Phonies

Any additional comments?

Well worth the time and money. A very fun experience.

very entertaining and informative

I have friends that are true conspiracy theorists and it is not as entertaining as listening to this. I learned quite a bit.

a classic

This is a very even handed book of different "extreme ist " organisations. it is entertaining throughout and worth the purchase

Very interesting revelations. Gets muddied down

Basically the only message the book delivers is that it appears that there's one thing hate groups like white supremacists and ISIS have in common - they all believe there's a secret small group of people who run the entire world. That's a very interesting idea, and it could be a source of the problems we have with hate groups, especially in 2017.

But the rest of the book doesn't provide much else other than repeated reiterating of that one message. It gets a bit hard to follow at times with who the author is talking to simply because it keeps treading familiar territory. The last chapter offers some decent substance with the author's perspective on filming a Bilderberg meeting with Alex Jones.

The narration in the audiobook is a bit dry and monotone. Even when someone in the book laughs, the narrator just says "ha-ha" in an annoyingly dry way. The author doesn't have a very engaging voice, but it was just barely passable enough that I didn't need to stop listening.

Contains valuable information

Jon Ronson is, as always, delightful. His British humor is brought out in his reading of his book, so I always prefer to get his books on tape rather than in print, as so much is lost without his verbal delivery. As a gonzo journalist, he finds interesting stories and brings out their absurdity while conveying good information (if a little tweaked to emphasize the humor of the situation, even very dark humor). But Ronson's adventures with extremists really take a dark turn when you look at how out-there and extreme these people were when he wrote this, and how much more mainstream they've become since that time. It was Ronson who helped to give Alex Jones his first great exposure when they together infiltrated the Bohemian Grove. While Ronson merely exposes the ridiculousness of the rituals of those in power, Alex Jones ran with the story as a sensationalist exposure of alleged human sacrifice (it wasn't), which garnered him numerous crazy followers. Jones's popularity is not Ronson's fault, but Ronson's early relationship with Jones, as discussed here, gives the reader insight into Jones. Likewise Ronson's history of Ruby Ridge provides insight into some far-right extremism in the US. He debunks a lot of their paranoid rantings, too. He likewise provides insight into other extremist movements around the globe.