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2 obres 116 Membres 9 Ressenyes

Obres de Jonathan Weisman

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Coneixement comú

Gènere
male
Nacionalitat
USA

Membres

Ressenyes

Like me, most people who pick up this book are probably already convinced that anti-Semitism in the United States has taken on an ugly new vigor since Trump's election. The problem is far worse than I realized, though, and Weisman delves into it in a lively, readable, journalistic style. He also presents it as inextricably linked with the rise of open hate of other groups, and urges collective action. Well done.
 
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CaitlinMcC | Hi ha 6 ressenyes més | Jul 11, 2021 |
The idea is good; the execution, less so. His knowledge of politics and the media is stronger than his knowledge of Judaism and Jewish culture, and it shows. I did agree with him that major Jewish organizations overemphasize Israel, but he doesn't seem to know what else they should do. Also, the end was a little heavy handed on how antisemitism isn't such a big deal.

Overall, it felt a little rushed and shallow.
 
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arosoff | Hi ha 6 ressenyes més | Jul 11, 2021 |
Attempting to analyse why the Jewish community was complacent as the alt-right ascended to power, In a vein similar to Timothy Snyder and some other anti-Trump writers, Weisman takes the view that U.S. Jewish institutions and community members aren't doing enough to oppose hate. This may be partially accurate among national organisations including the ADL, however in reality, the solutions he offers, ie community resiliance and interfaith solidarity, were widely adopted among middle-class "Resistance"-types post-2016. The idea that he is a lone voice telling hard truths is difficult to maintain, a type of pseudo-dissidence which relies on claiming to point out injustices that educated people have already heard endlessly about.… (més)
 
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anaanna90 | Hi ha 6 ressenyes més | Aug 17, 2020 |
Excellent and Sympathetic Details

"(((Semitism)))" is a well-written book. The author has an enjoyable, breezy style that makes it a quick and worthwhile read. I found two central ideas of Weisman's focus: 1) the culture of internet trolling, and 2) the lack of response from Jewish organizations in America. The book is apolitical, with the exception of discussing Civil Rights, an issue that is, in my opinion, not political.

Weisman gives a very succinct history of trolling. He describes the websites and website developers who propagate antisemitic, racist, and misogynistic content. He interviews and summarizes the thoughts of several victims of trolling and describes what they did to fight back with varying results. I appreciate that Weisman clarifies vocabulary and ideas for readers who are not familiar with many internet terms and ideas.

Regarding his criticism of Jewish organizations and leaders, Weisman is intentionally critical. He calls out organizations that keep their heads in the sand even in the face of hate. Toward the end of the book, he gives a very brief history of how Jewish groups reacted to the rise of Nazis in Germany and how there are parallels today. I would have liked to read more about this, but perhaps being a book about current events, Weisman did not want to dig too deep into history.

A topic that Weisman does not address is the root of antisemitism. While the history of antisemitism is discussed at length in many other books, I would like to see it at least mentioned briefly in "(((Semitism)))."

The quality of writing is very high; however, it is a bit disorganized at times. The division of material into chapters is muddy. Topics and ideas come and go, and come again. As with any other nonfiction book, there should have been an index so that the reader could return to topics previously addressed or look up information quickly.
… (més)
1 vota
Marcat
mvblair | Hi ha 6 ressenyes més | Aug 8, 2020 |

Estadístiques

Obres
2
Membres
116
Popularitat
#169,721
Valoració
½ 3.4
Ressenyes
9
ISBN
9

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