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The Madness of Believing: A Memoir from Inside Alex Jones's Conspiracy Machine
An unvarnished and immersive dive into the world of conspiracy theories, propaganda, and disinformation from Alex Jones’ former righthand man at Infowars.
At twenty-four-years old, Josh Owens was a college dropout who had already been listening to Alex Jones for five years. Originally drawn in by Jones' entertaining personality and anti-establishment stance, Josh soon came to suspect that vaccines were dangerous, that fluoride in drinking water lowered IQ levels, and a wide range of other far-fetched conspiracies. When the opportunity arose to work for Jones, he jumped at it, packing up his life and moving halfway across the country to start his first job as an adult.
THE MADNESS OF BELIEVING follows Josh’s experience working at Infowars, where he became one of Jones’ most trusted employees. He began traveling across the world creating “news” stories and spreading outright lies to Infowars’ ever-growing listener base. As he rose through the ranks, his skepticism grew, and Josh underwent a personal transformation just as Infowars too changed from a fringe community to a mainstream disinformation machine.
Josh’s story is one playing out across that of impressionable young people pulled into a dangerous world where reality and fiction are blurred, and extremist beliefs gain steam. THE MADNESS OF BELIEVING is a reckoning with this climate, one that provides riveting insight into these supposedly radical, truth-driven organizations while exposing their dangerous false claims and lies.
At twenty-four-years old, Josh Owens was a college dropout who had already been listening to Alex Jones for five years. Originally drawn in by Jones' entertaining personality and anti-establishment stance, Josh soon came to suspect that vaccines were dangerous, that fluoride in drinking water lowered IQ levels, and a wide range of other far-fetched conspiracies. When the opportunity arose to work for Jones, he jumped at it, packing up his life and moving halfway across the country to start his first job as an adult.
THE MADNESS OF BELIEVING follows Josh’s experience working at Infowars, where he became one of Jones’ most trusted employees. He began traveling across the world creating “news” stories and spreading outright lies to Infowars’ ever-growing listener base. As he rose through the ranks, his skepticism grew, and Josh underwent a personal transformation just as Infowars too changed from a fringe community to a mainstream disinformation machine.
Josh’s story is one playing out across that of impressionable young people pulled into a dangerous world where reality and fiction are blurred, and extremist beliefs gain steam. THE MADNESS OF BELIEVING is a reckoning with this climate, one that provides riveting insight into these supposedly radical, truth-driven organizations while exposing their dangerous false claims and lies.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 7, 2025
ARC for review. To be published April 14, 2036.
4 stars
So, Alex Jones. He’s an insane man.
Here’s the story of a young man who worked for him and slowly went from true believer (although he doesn’t really cop to that, you can tell that he was) to “well, maybe this guy’s not so legit” to “Dear God, I have to get away from this man and his craziness.”
If you don’t know who Alex Jones really a he’s the ultra-far-right conspiracy theorist who is likely best known for calling Sandy Hook a hoax. Many of the families sued Jones and, for his trouble, having a jury(?-I think it was a jury and not a bench trial) found in their favor, awarding them somewhere around $1.5 billion dollars. BILLION. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
So, here, the author was a film student before going to work for Jones, and he was also a big believer in conspiracy theories…in fact he entered a contest to work for Jones, God help us. We are with the author as he becomes part of Jones’s inner circle and he works with Jones and his show though the Bundy ranch standoff, Ferguson, lots of border angst, San Bernardino, Trump’s 2016 Presidential run and more.
Even while the author is still fairly enamored of Jones he.ms presented as chaotic, out of control, hot tempered and seems to have a serious problem with alcohol. That’s all in addition to his racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, xenophobia, and, well, his general dislike of everyone who isn’t a white American man. He’s simply vile. Frankly, the author is fairly bad too, for making as many excuses as he did. Why his girlfriend stood by him is beyond me. However, the book was an interesting read.
4 stars
So, Alex Jones. He’s an insane man.
Here’s the story of a young man who worked for him and slowly went from true believer (although he doesn’t really cop to that, you can tell that he was) to “well, maybe this guy’s not so legit” to “Dear God, I have to get away from this man and his craziness.”
If you don’t know who Alex Jones really a he’s the ultra-far-right conspiracy theorist who is likely best known for calling Sandy Hook a hoax. Many of the families sued Jones and, for his trouble, having a jury(?-I think it was a jury and not a bench trial) found in their favor, awarding them somewhere around $1.5 billion dollars. BILLION. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
So, here, the author was a film student before going to work for Jones, and he was also a big believer in conspiracy theories…in fact he entered a contest to work for Jones, God help us. We are with the author as he becomes part of Jones’s inner circle and he works with Jones and his show though the Bundy ranch standoff, Ferguson, lots of border angst, San Bernardino, Trump’s 2016 Presidential run and more.
Even while the author is still fairly enamored of Jones he.ms presented as chaotic, out of control, hot tempered and seems to have a serious problem with alcohol. That’s all in addition to his racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, xenophobia, and, well, his general dislike of everyone who isn’t a white American man. He’s simply vile. Frankly, the author is fairly bad too, for making as many excuses as he did. Why his girlfriend stood by him is beyond me. However, the book was an interesting read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"He wasn't a hero, or even a villain, but a flawed human being who was a victim to his own narcissistic inability to see beyond himself."
Josh Owens spent four years filming and following Alex Jones around. His memoir of those years is somewhat maddening. By the end of the book he asks the question the reader asks throughout the journey... Why? Why did he stay with Jones for so long? Why didn't he leave when it became obvious that Jones was a compulsive liar, alcoholic, and conspiracy monger? Was it the money? Was he brainwashed? He suffers through equal parts of desire to be accepted by Jones and revulsion. He knows better. He knows that the stories are fabricated. He knows that lives are harmed by the implications of belief in those stories. Yet he continues.
The memoir is worth reading as a cautionary tale. Men like Alex Jones are dangerous. The lack of conscience along with the concoction of false narratives pushed out to naive listeners is appalling. But people followed wholeheartedly to the detriment of truth. Even Jones didn't believe the tripe he peddled. But attention and affluence was more valuable than honesty in Infowars.
Finally, after months and months of doing Jones' bidding, Owens finds a way out. He says...
"I didn't want to hate people who were different than me, those whose lives consisted of distinct circumstances and experiences devoid of my opinions and criticisms. I wanted to be better."
Will this book change the minds of Alex Jones believers? Unlikely. It will appeal to those who could see through the deceit. It will serve to document the threat of extreme narcissism. Perhaps the memoir along with his other projects will assuage the author's guilt.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the advance review copy through NetGalley.
Josh Owens spent four years filming and following Alex Jones around. His memoir of those years is somewhat maddening. By the end of the book he asks the question the reader asks throughout the journey... Why? Why did he stay with Jones for so long? Why didn't he leave when it became obvious that Jones was a compulsive liar, alcoholic, and conspiracy monger? Was it the money? Was he brainwashed? He suffers through equal parts of desire to be accepted by Jones and revulsion. He knows better. He knows that the stories are fabricated. He knows that lives are harmed by the implications of belief in those stories. Yet he continues.
The memoir is worth reading as a cautionary tale. Men like Alex Jones are dangerous. The lack of conscience along with the concoction of false narratives pushed out to naive listeners is appalling. But people followed wholeheartedly to the detriment of truth. Even Jones didn't believe the tripe he peddled. But attention and affluence was more valuable than honesty in Infowars.
Finally, after months and months of doing Jones' bidding, Owens finds a way out. He says...
"I didn't want to hate people who were different than me, those whose lives consisted of distinct circumstances and experiences devoid of my opinions and criticisms. I wanted to be better."
Will this book change the minds of Alex Jones believers? Unlikely. It will appeal to those who could see through the deceit. It will serve to document the threat of extreme narcissism. Perhaps the memoir along with his other projects will assuage the author's guilt.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the advance review copy through NetGalley.
April 16, 2026
This is an interesting book for people marginally familiar with Inforwars. For listeners of Knowledge Fight, its nothing really new other than a first person view of the experience. For people who are marinating their brain in this stuff, it really highlights what Alex Jones is like as a personality.
June 8, 2026
with love, I don't know how you take this premise/life experience and make it so boring.
I love a good exposé/gossipy/messy reflection for background noise as I wash dishes and walk my dog... and somehow this didn't get the job done. The juiciest bits are not remotely surprising (Alex Jones, the bombastic and publicly abusive human, is bombastic and privately abusive as well). The title, which implies the author's personal belief journey and evolution, is not at all explored. I have never read anything from someone who appears to have no agency or thoughts on their own life at all. No reflection, no responsibility... perhaps the author was not ready to actually write this book, or perhaps they continue to not actually have meaningful thoughts about their own involvement/beliefs/how they justified staying in these circumstances for so long. Honestly this book just felt like a continuation of their profiting off of Alex Jones' madness without any personal reflection.
I love a good exposé/gossipy/messy reflection for background noise as I wash dishes and walk my dog... and somehow this didn't get the job done. The juiciest bits are not remotely surprising (Alex Jones, the bombastic and publicly abusive human, is bombastic and privately abusive as well). The title, which implies the author's personal belief journey and evolution, is not at all explored. I have never read anything from someone who appears to have no agency or thoughts on their own life at all. No reflection, no responsibility... perhaps the author was not ready to actually write this book, or perhaps they continue to not actually have meaningful thoughts about their own involvement/beliefs/how they justified staying in these circumstances for so long. Honestly this book just felt like a continuation of their profiting off of Alex Jones' madness without any personal reflection.
October 23, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Big Careless People vibes but with Infowars. A former employee telling all, but unlike Careless People you can see how, while influential, Alex Jones is a hot mess. Infowars is even a more low budget joke than I had imagined. The author also seems a bit more self aware but still made no sense why he didn’t quit earlier.
Big Careless People vibes but with Infowars. A former employee telling all, but unlike Careless People you can see how, while influential, Alex Jones is a hot mess. Infowars is even a more low budget joke than I had imagined. The author also seems a bit more self aware but still made no sense why he didn’t quit earlier.
June 21, 2026
a good read that provides a rare and valuable inside perspective into this world, but that fails to include enough introspection/personal reckoning nor zooming out/contextualizing to make it feel like something bigger than a juicy tell all. regardless I look forward to what’s to come from Owens!
May 8, 2026
Shout out to NetGalley & the publisher for letting me get to read this book. As a devoted cult reader, apparently an American citizen & a big time hater I could not resist trying my hand at getting this book. So now I’m going to be dumping all my thoughts on this, buckle up sweaty.
Josh Owens was a video editor & field producer for Alex Jones during 2013-2017, one might argue some of the most pivotal time for the rise of InfoWars (shout out to Tim Heidecker for being the new info guy). The story follows the beginning of Josh’s relationship with InfoWars, the erratic behavior of Jones as he rose to a position as a pillar of the conspiracy world & honestly a LOT of shenanigans.
The book starts off with a very telling Flannery O’Connor quote that set the whole vibe, “You have to quit confusing a madness with a mission.”
If I could pick just a single quote, this would be a perfect example of the environment in the InfoWars offices. Immediately, after a cutthroat competition to get the position Josh moved himself to Austin to begin this next chapter of his life. We are met with this blacked out office with no discernable identity & a man wearing a fanny pack trying to weed out the “crazies”. After this beginning interaction, I felt like I had all the info I needed to know I would have turned around but hey, that’s me. In the beginning of the book, Josh explains that the way he found his way into Jones’s orbit was after a rewatch of Dr. Strangelove that turned into a conversation about fluoride in the water in 2008 & the friend he was watching the movie with asked him if he’d ever heard of Jones. Quickly, the conversation turned to how swallowing a glob of fluoride riddled toothpaste warrants a call to the poison center but that the “unknown amount” in water was somehow perfect for us to drink; after this, Josh decided to start to learn more about Jones.
Gonna drop some Jones lore here before we get invested. In the late 90’s Alex Jones was a personality on Austin radio, a big part of his early popularity rose from his very early ideals about the Waco siege & the Oklahoma City bombing. He started the show after the Branch Davidian incident, then when the Oklahoma bombing happened on the second anniversary of the shooting Jones started his real tirade of accusing the government for causing both incidents & even tried to build a NEW church of Branch Davidians in 1998. Even after nearly winning best talk show host in 1999 he was fired shortly after, which is when he started InfoWars with his (then) wife & started using it to sell conspiracy-oriented docs. Soon he was using the site to do more than just sell the documentaries but as his outlet for his fake news.
Anyway moving on…
READ THE REST ON MY SUBSTACK :)
Josh Owens was a video editor & field producer for Alex Jones during 2013-2017, one might argue some of the most pivotal time for the rise of InfoWars (shout out to Tim Heidecker for being the new info guy). The story follows the beginning of Josh’s relationship with InfoWars, the erratic behavior of Jones as he rose to a position as a pillar of the conspiracy world & honestly a LOT of shenanigans.
The book starts off with a very telling Flannery O’Connor quote that set the whole vibe, “You have to quit confusing a madness with a mission.”
If I could pick just a single quote, this would be a perfect example of the environment in the InfoWars offices. Immediately, after a cutthroat competition to get the position Josh moved himself to Austin to begin this next chapter of his life. We are met with this blacked out office with no discernable identity & a man wearing a fanny pack trying to weed out the “crazies”. After this beginning interaction, I felt like I had all the info I needed to know I would have turned around but hey, that’s me. In the beginning of the book, Josh explains that the way he found his way into Jones’s orbit was after a rewatch of Dr. Strangelove that turned into a conversation about fluoride in the water in 2008 & the friend he was watching the movie with asked him if he’d ever heard of Jones. Quickly, the conversation turned to how swallowing a glob of fluoride riddled toothpaste warrants a call to the poison center but that the “unknown amount” in water was somehow perfect for us to drink; after this, Josh decided to start to learn more about Jones.
Gonna drop some Jones lore here before we get invested. In the late 90’s Alex Jones was a personality on Austin radio, a big part of his early popularity rose from his very early ideals about the Waco siege & the Oklahoma City bombing. He started the show after the Branch Davidian incident, then when the Oklahoma bombing happened on the second anniversary of the shooting Jones started his real tirade of accusing the government for causing both incidents & even tried to build a NEW church of Branch Davidians in 1998. Even after nearly winning best talk show host in 1999 he was fired shortly after, which is when he started InfoWars with his (then) wife & started using it to sell conspiracy-oriented docs. Soon he was using the site to do more than just sell the documentaries but as his outlet for his fake news.
Anyway moving on…
READ THE REST ON MY SUBSTACK :)
May 5, 2026
This was fine, but nothing truly groundbreaking. I don’t think anything that was divulged in this memoir was something I didn’t already know about or could’ve easily guessed about Alex Jones. It’s not shocking to hear he treated his employees badly. He’s very clearly a raging alcoholic.
Josh holds himself accountable, but in a way that feels very lackluster. It seems that he knew pretty much the entire time that Alex Jones sucked and just continued to work for him for years because he didn’t want to do the work of leaving. He also felt important because of his work with Alex Jones, amassed a lot of self worth from that fact while knowing he didn’t support his ideals? Idk.
I respect his willingness to talk about his faults, but ultimately this was mostly a nothing burger and probably would’ve been more interesting and impactful to read if it were published anywhere from 2017-2021.
Josh holds himself accountable, but in a way that feels very lackluster. It seems that he knew pretty much the entire time that Alex Jones sucked and just continued to work for him for years because he didn’t want to do the work of leaving. He also felt important because of his work with Alex Jones, amassed a lot of self worth from that fact while knowing he didn’t support his ideals? Idk.
I respect his willingness to talk about his faults, but ultimately this was mostly a nothing burger and probably would’ve been more interesting and impactful to read if it were published anywhere from 2017-2021.
Did Not Finish
May 19, 2026The whole time I just felt icky reading it! Not worth the ick just to finish it for book club 🤷🏼♀️
June 8, 2026
I’m so glad this book exists. It gives the absurd cult around Infowars a much-needed but frightening new light.
April 22, 2026
I always knew Alex Jones was nuts, but I didn’t realize some of the lengths he went to with his radio and YouTube show. This book is very eye-opening in regard to what everyday people can do to incite violence, even when it’s totally illogical.
May 15, 2026
Fantastic memoir about working for Alex jones
June 5, 2026
I’ve never understood white men who want to play devils advocate or want to have an “open mind” or “explore alternative perspectives” who then follow men like Alex Jones. This memoir shows that perspective when it would be directly challenged by working for someone like Alex Jones.
May 19, 2026
I read this book because I wanted to know how someone could believe conspiracy theories, and also how someone could stop believing them. Based on this book, there isn't a one-size-fits-all explanation (which maybe should be obvious). For Alex Jones, he seems mentally ill. I'm not a clinician, I'm not qualified to make any diagnoses, but his behavior is so unhinged in so many ways that I believe he belongs in a category apart from the author and many of his other employees. I don't think there's great utility in trying to understand him, just in protecting others from him.
As for the author and how he started working for Jones, he seemed to be (at the time) a not-very conscientious or ambitious young person whose view of himself exceeded his abilities. In this, he contrasts sharply with Sarah Wynn-Williams, the author of "Careless People", about Facebook. She was highly driven, an overachiever, and very educated. I think they also differ in that Owens valued being outside the norm, whereas Wynn-Williams definitively sought mainstream success.
Owens had doubts relatively early in his four-year tenure at Infowars. It's interesting what kept him there: Brutally manipulative tactics on the part of his boss. The worst of it was firing a gun at his employees; he also broke on of his employees' ribs in a bar fight. That's really more a testament to the efficacy of Jones' manipulation than an example of it, though. These employees kept working for him. When it comes to actual manipulation, Jones started early. In Owens' first few days, he heard Jones yelling about someone messing up an interview. Owens' coworkers said he did it. This made Owens feel like he was starting off at a deficit, needing to prove his worth. Throughout Owens' time at Infowars, Jones would force people outside their comfort zones, demanding small, bizarre acts of obedience. He demanded certain headlines, forcing his reporters to fabricate evidence and doctor interviews. He kept people too tired and busy to think. Later in Owens' tenure, Infowars was making so much money that Jones would regularly take his employees out for steak dinners. Owens cited this level of comfort as one of the reasons he stayed.
What about the viewers? I think Jones offers them a story that makes the world make sense to them. It provides structure and meaning. Jones' viewers can see themselves as people who know the real truth, people who are the right side. They can believe everything will be all right if only Trump wins. Maybe they find community with other Infowars followers. There's also for sure some resentment that's getting released. Some of them seem to oppose power no matter who's in charge. Also, Jones (and Trump) encourages people to feel like they're entitled to do whatever they want, regardless of its effects on others. At some level, Jones is also exciting (not to me, but to some people). One of his employees was a combat veteran, and talks in the book about missing war in a weird way.
Why did Owens leave? For one, he hated the toxic work environment. So did other employees, but they believed they wouldn't be able to find other work with Infowars on their resume (and Jones encouraged that belief). Owens only left after he got another job. I think another major factor was his girlfriend. She stayed with him the whole time he worked at Infowars, but encouraged him to question why he was working there. She was steady, but not hostile. This reminded me of Eli Saslow's "Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist". In that book, Adrianne Black's girlfriend--who stayed with her for years yet never stopped questioning Black's beliefs--seemed to be a major reason that Black was able to leave white nationalism. Also, it seems like Owens reached a point where he couldn't keep compartmentalizing his work. Fans started recognizing him.
I think I learned a lot from this book, and I'm glad Owens wrote it. Details about what Jones is actually like need to get out into the world. I should say that it's concerning to me that on page 30, Owens writes that the comedian Bill Hicks was born in Texas, which is just not true. A simple Google search is enough to determine that Hicks was born in Georgia. It's not great that a book that's supposed to be about telling the truth would get something so simple wrong. I hope that was just a one-off.
I also want to say that reading this book was not great for my mental health. (I can't even imagine what working at Infowars for four years would do to a person.) Jones' worldview is so dark, and he is so unendingly self-serving, and he lies so much, that my own worldview darkened a little.
As for the author and how he started working for Jones, he seemed to be (at the time) a not-very conscientious or ambitious young person whose view of himself exceeded his abilities. In this, he contrasts sharply with Sarah Wynn-Williams, the author of "Careless People", about Facebook. She was highly driven, an overachiever, and very educated. I think they also differ in that Owens valued being outside the norm, whereas Wynn-Williams definitively sought mainstream success.
Owens had doubts relatively early in his four-year tenure at Infowars. It's interesting what kept him there: Brutally manipulative tactics on the part of his boss. The worst of it was firing a gun at his employees; he also broke on of his employees' ribs in a bar fight. That's really more a testament to the efficacy of Jones' manipulation than an example of it, though. These employees kept working for him. When it comes to actual manipulation, Jones started early. In Owens' first few days, he heard Jones yelling about someone messing up an interview. Owens' coworkers said he did it. This made Owens feel like he was starting off at a deficit, needing to prove his worth. Throughout Owens' time at Infowars, Jones would force people outside their comfort zones, demanding small, bizarre acts of obedience. He demanded certain headlines, forcing his reporters to fabricate evidence and doctor interviews. He kept people too tired and busy to think. Later in Owens' tenure, Infowars was making so much money that Jones would regularly take his employees out for steak dinners. Owens cited this level of comfort as one of the reasons he stayed.
What about the viewers? I think Jones offers them a story that makes the world make sense to them. It provides structure and meaning. Jones' viewers can see themselves as people who know the real truth, people who are the right side. They can believe everything will be all right if only Trump wins. Maybe they find community with other Infowars followers. There's also for sure some resentment that's getting released. Some of them seem to oppose power no matter who's in charge. Also, Jones (and Trump) encourages people to feel like they're entitled to do whatever they want, regardless of its effects on others. At some level, Jones is also exciting (not to me, but to some people). One of his employees was a combat veteran, and talks in the book about missing war in a weird way.
Why did Owens leave? For one, he hated the toxic work environment. So did other employees, but they believed they wouldn't be able to find other work with Infowars on their resume (and Jones encouraged that belief). Owens only left after he got another job. I think another major factor was his girlfriend. She stayed with him the whole time he worked at Infowars, but encouraged him to question why he was working there. She was steady, but not hostile. This reminded me of Eli Saslow's "Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist". In that book, Adrianne Black's girlfriend--who stayed with her for years yet never stopped questioning Black's beliefs--seemed to be a major reason that Black was able to leave white nationalism. Also, it seems like Owens reached a point where he couldn't keep compartmentalizing his work. Fans started recognizing him.
I think I learned a lot from this book, and I'm glad Owens wrote it. Details about what Jones is actually like need to get out into the world. I should say that it's concerning to me that on page 30, Owens writes that the comedian Bill Hicks was born in Texas, which is just not true. A simple Google search is enough to determine that Hicks was born in Georgia. It's not great that a book that's supposed to be about telling the truth would get something so simple wrong. I hope that was just a one-off.
I also want to say that reading this book was not great for my mental health. (I can't even imagine what working at Infowars for four years would do to a person.) Jones' worldview is so dark, and he is so unendingly self-serving, and he lies so much, that my own worldview darkened a little.
June 12, 2026
In this book you learn how fake news is produced. You also come to understand the pressures and emotions of those who work for an unreasonable boss – in this case a boss who is alcoholic, prone to violent outbursts, authoritarian, and on a regular basis manipulates staff to perform unethical, and (most likely) illegal tasks.
Author, Josh Owens, writes of how he was recruited and began this job in an unmarked hard to find, unidentified (no sign) location. He writes of his co-workers and how assignments were made. His boss, Alex Jones, has a way of thinking that permeates not only every piece of work produced but the heads of the people who work for him.
The staff walks on egg shells.
Jones’s enterprise consists of his YouTube Channel with well over a million viewers, and the sale of dietary supplements and coffee. I was surprised at this size of it. While detail is not given there is a main building with lots of equipment that always seems to work, sets for filming, at least 2 warehouses and I’m guessing 20 or so on staff. It appears to be very lucrative.
(Of course it is now owned by "The Onion", but this book, ending around 2016, doesn't cover this.)
Jones can be generous, giving bonuses for work that meets his goals, or treating with big dinners (and lots of drinks) when traveling.
As camera man, Owens seems to have all the equipment he needs (i.e no visible money problems).. He gets the relief (from the over-lording boss) with regular travel (no skimping on travel either), and as long has he tows the Alex Jones line, he can be a creative videographer and editor.
The problem is that the “Alex Jones line” can defy reality. It often involves editing bits of video to quote people out of context, fabricating stories and/or putting people in danger. Owens seems to be pretty good at fashioning content from nothing. For instance to show that Muslims were invading the US he arranged a play acting of an assistant in Middle Eastern garb crossing a supposed US-Mexico border with a sword and (what appeared to be) a severed human head. Jones loved it.
Owens shares his inner feelings on doing this and continues to question why he stayed with Jones for 4 years. He notes how working there affected him and others emotionally and physically. I presume his experience is similar to those trapped in cults, similar news/noise machines or are in US federal jobs.
This is a well written book that had me page turning.
There are no pictures. No index. No list of sources.
I highly recommend it, especially for those working in or aspiring to work in journalism and those who contend with toxic work situations.
Author, Josh Owens, writes of how he was recruited and began this job in an unmarked hard to find, unidentified (no sign) location. He writes of his co-workers and how assignments were made. His boss, Alex Jones, has a way of thinking that permeates not only every piece of work produced but the heads of the people who work for him.
The staff walks on egg shells.
Jones’s enterprise consists of his YouTube Channel with well over a million viewers, and the sale of dietary supplements and coffee. I was surprised at this size of it. While detail is not given there is a main building with lots of equipment that always seems to work, sets for filming, at least 2 warehouses and I’m guessing 20 or so on staff. It appears to be very lucrative.
(Of course it is now owned by "The Onion", but this book, ending around 2016, doesn't cover this.)
Jones can be generous, giving bonuses for work that meets his goals, or treating with big dinners (and lots of drinks) when traveling.
As camera man, Owens seems to have all the equipment he needs (i.e no visible money problems).. He gets the relief (from the over-lording boss) with regular travel (no skimping on travel either), and as long has he tows the Alex Jones line, he can be a creative videographer and editor.
The problem is that the “Alex Jones line” can defy reality. It often involves editing bits of video to quote people out of context, fabricating stories and/or putting people in danger. Owens seems to be pretty good at fashioning content from nothing. For instance to show that Muslims were invading the US he arranged a play acting of an assistant in Middle Eastern garb crossing a supposed US-Mexico border with a sword and (what appeared to be) a severed human head. Jones loved it.
Owens shares his inner feelings on doing this and continues to question why he stayed with Jones for 4 years. He notes how working there affected him and others emotionally and physically. I presume his experience is similar to those trapped in cults, similar news/noise machines or are in US federal jobs.
This is a well written book that had me page turning.
There are no pictures. No index. No list of sources.
I highly recommend it, especially for those working in or aspiring to work in journalism and those who contend with toxic work situations.
May 5, 2026
(Review of an ARC)
It's strange to be writing this today, May 4th, 2026, the day that we found out that Knowledge Fight is ending. If you want to deeply understand Alex Jones and Infowars that will never be a better resource than their podcast. But... it's like 2,000 hours of audio. Months of audio. Mountains. And I fear that wading through so much of it could drive you mad.
The Madness of Believing is a trim 271 pages and gives you just the highlights, "from the inside." I don't think there's much of anything in here that you wouldn't already know if you were a Knowledge Fight listener, but (again), 2,000 hours. The only thing that you wouldn't directly get from KF is an acknowledgment of something that Dan and Jordan often pondered: that Alex Jones doesn't actually want to do this. That's what Owens claims in the second to last chapter -- Jones called him and told him that he understands why he left and he would leave too, if not for wanting to support all the people who work for him. I mean, let's be real, that can't be true. Not entirely. Anyone with Jones's issues and money would also want to keep going just because there's no other way to be Jones. There's a sick, twisted sense of honor in being Alex Jones. But it's an insight that Jordan and Dan came to without hearing it directly from Jones: the man must be miserable. And he was. And he still is.
And yet, so many were so deeply harmed by him. Yes, the families of the Sandy Hook victims. But also every listener who was defrauded by Jones's schemes. And Josh Owens was, too. It can be a little difficult to sympathize with him if you aren't familiar with high control/cult cultures. And remember, the book was written after he left. But it does sting to read how he was making $90,000 to promote Jones. It's hard to feel sorry for him. Owens frequently tells you not to, though. That he was wrong, he wished it had been different. And it all sounds like the right thing. But a part of me does wonder how wrong he really feels it was.
Dan and Jordan could have continued making KF, could have kept their current livelihoods, but they ultimately quit before their issues became insurmountable. It's bitter medicine but ultimately honorable. Was Josh Owens honorable? It's hard to say. I believe he may believe he was. But I believe Alex Jones also believes he's honorable.
It's strange to be writing this today, May 4th, 2026, the day that we found out that Knowledge Fight is ending. If you want to deeply understand Alex Jones and Infowars that will never be a better resource than their podcast. But... it's like 2,000 hours of audio. Months of audio. Mountains. And I fear that wading through so much of it could drive you mad.
The Madness of Believing is a trim 271 pages and gives you just the highlights, "from the inside." I don't think there's much of anything in here that you wouldn't already know if you were a Knowledge Fight listener, but (again), 2,000 hours. The only thing that you wouldn't directly get from KF is an acknowledgment of something that Dan and Jordan often pondered: that Alex Jones doesn't actually want to do this. That's what Owens claims in the second to last chapter -- Jones called him and told him that he understands why he left and he would leave too, if not for wanting to support all the people who work for him. I mean, let's be real, that can't be true. Not entirely. Anyone with Jones's issues and money would also want to keep going just because there's no other way to be Jones. There's a sick, twisted sense of honor in being Alex Jones. But it's an insight that Jordan and Dan came to without hearing it directly from Jones: the man must be miserable. And he was. And he still is.
And yet, so many were so deeply harmed by him. Yes, the families of the Sandy Hook victims. But also every listener who was defrauded by Jones's schemes. And Josh Owens was, too. It can be a little difficult to sympathize with him if you aren't familiar with high control/cult cultures. And remember, the book was written after he left. But it does sting to read how he was making $90,000 to promote Jones. It's hard to feel sorry for him. Owens frequently tells you not to, though. That he was wrong, he wished it had been different. And it all sounds like the right thing. But a part of me does wonder how wrong he really feels it was.
Dan and Jordan could have continued making KF, could have kept their current livelihoods, but they ultimately quit before their issues became insurmountable. It's bitter medicine but ultimately honorable. Was Josh Owens honorable? It's hard to say. I believe he may believe he was. But I believe Alex Jones also believes he's honorable.
June 28, 2026
I give this book a 3.5
This is generally a great little book. The writing is clear, engaging, and easy to absorb.
I have never watched Infowars, but I have heard of Alex Jones and his inane ramblings and detached from reality life, but that was about it. I have never watched his radio-tv-internet program and have no intention of doing so. However I have seen snippets of the show as it sometimes, or at least used to, get highlighted on some political reels and shows.
I was shocked to learn how truly untethered Jones is from reality, his incredible narcissism, that he can never be wrong, he pretends to be an "alpha" when in all truth he's not even close, he's a pathetic excuse of a man. It surprised me to learn that he had a wife and that somebody actively wanted to have sex with him and make kids with him. Yikes. Alex Jones has a very disturbed mind, he would benefit from therapy, but of course I don't believe his personality would allow him to do that. He's too self-absorbed.
The book is a great window into the madness and deceitfulness at Infowars. Honestly, the whole time I was reading the book I couldn't help but notice huge similarities between Alex Jones and Donald Trump. Both deluded, both narcissists loving attention but incapable of giving it out, both don't understand empathy, love, or compassion, only think about money and views, constantly thinking of the adoration of their followers and crowds, the belief they're always right, living in fantasy worlds where facts don't matter and yes-men pad every conversation, delusional thinking, and cockroach-like. I guess the only difference would be that Jones is a degenerate alcoholic mess, while Trump is just a degenerate mess.
As for our author Josh, I am so glad that he was able to get out, keep his relationship with his girlfriend intact, write the book and appears to genuinely feel bad and have atoned for his time spent at Infowars. I hope that he continues to write and find success in life.
Would I read it again: absolutely I would.
This is generally a great little book. The writing is clear, engaging, and easy to absorb.
I have never watched Infowars, but I have heard of Alex Jones and his inane ramblings and detached from reality life, but that was about it. I have never watched his radio-tv-internet program and have no intention of doing so. However I have seen snippets of the show as it sometimes, or at least used to, get highlighted on some political reels and shows.
I was shocked to learn how truly untethered Jones is from reality, his incredible narcissism, that he can never be wrong, he pretends to be an "alpha" when in all truth he's not even close, he's a pathetic excuse of a man. It surprised me to learn that he had a wife and that somebody actively wanted to have sex with him and make kids with him. Yikes. Alex Jones has a very disturbed mind, he would benefit from therapy, but of course I don't believe his personality would allow him to do that. He's too self-absorbed.
The book is a great window into the madness and deceitfulness at Infowars. Honestly, the whole time I was reading the book I couldn't help but notice huge similarities between Alex Jones and Donald Trump. Both deluded, both narcissists loving attention but incapable of giving it out, both don't understand empathy, love, or compassion, only think about money and views, constantly thinking of the adoration of their followers and crowds, the belief they're always right, living in fantasy worlds where facts don't matter and yes-men pad every conversation, delusional thinking, and cockroach-like. I guess the only difference would be that Jones is a degenerate alcoholic mess, while Trump is just a degenerate mess.
As for our author Josh, I am so glad that he was able to get out, keep his relationship with his girlfriend intact, write the book and appears to genuinely feel bad and have atoned for his time spent at Infowars. I hope that he continues to write and find success in life.
Would I read it again: absolutely I would.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was excited to read this book. And I was disappointed. This excerpt from a Guardian article sums up my reasoning pretty well:
“Why was I there? Why did I do these things? Why did I stick around for so long?” Owens said to NPR. “I don’t have all the answers now, but I think exploring it and asking those questions and taking accountability was just sort of part of the process.” ("Ex-Alex Jones employee reflects on job at Infowars: 'It was nonsense. It was lies' ", The Guardian, April 1, 2026).
This is supposed to be a memoir of Owens's time at Infowars, which would be extremely interesting. And while he does give a lot of examples of f*cked up sh*t he and his fellow employees did while in Jones's employ, there is so little analysis of his beliefs or why he was willing to do what he did, that I was just... bored. This book is also a bit dated -- he left InfoWars during the first Trump administration, so I'm unsure why it took so long for this book to come out if he hasn't taken the time to reflect on what led him there, what kept him there, and what ultimately made him leave. When he started, Jones was not the celebrity he is today; at this point we know the majority of Jones's disconnect from reality.
Another frustration, Owens almost never talks about the Sandy Hook situation. I would say this is because he probably is somewhat connected to litigation in some way, but he was in the documentary about the lawsuit against Jones... so I don't understand.
Did I feel compelled to read the entire book? Yes. But it was because I was looking for an analysis from Owens that never came.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Why was I there? Why did I do these things? Why did I stick around for so long?” Owens said to NPR. “I don’t have all the answers now, but I think exploring it and asking those questions and taking accountability was just sort of part of the process.” ("Ex-Alex Jones employee reflects on job at Infowars: 'It was nonsense. It was lies' ", The Guardian, April 1, 2026).
This is supposed to be a memoir of Owens's time at Infowars, which would be extremely interesting. And while he does give a lot of examples of f*cked up sh*t he and his fellow employees did while in Jones's employ, there is so little analysis of his beliefs or why he was willing to do what he did, that I was just... bored. This book is also a bit dated -- he left InfoWars during the first Trump administration, so I'm unsure why it took so long for this book to come out if he hasn't taken the time to reflect on what led him there, what kept him there, and what ultimately made him leave. When he started, Jones was not the celebrity he is today; at this point we know the majority of Jones's disconnect from reality.
Another frustration, Owens almost never talks about the Sandy Hook situation. I would say this is because he probably is somewhat connected to litigation in some way, but he was in the documentary about the lawsuit against Jones... so I don't understand.
Did I feel compelled to read the entire book? Yes. But it was because I was looking for an analysis from Owens that never came.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Book 7 of 2026 - ☑️! Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Josh Owens for an ARC of The Madness of Believing: A Memoir from Inside Alex Jones’s Conspiracy Machine by Josh Owens in exchange for my honest review.
I’ll start off by saying this was not an easy read in the sense that I found it extremely frustrating. Props to Josh Owens for being so candid in this book. Like many other readers, I was impressed by the fact that his girlfriend stood by him and continually tried to get him to break out of working for Alex Jones. I have SO MANY thoughts about Alex Jones, but I’ll just stick to thoughts on the book here.
The Madness of Believing chronicles Josh Owens’s further and further involvement in Alex Jones & InfoWars orbit. Owens joined InfoWars when it was still considered fringe, and was with Jones until InfoWars became more mainstream (to the detriment of us all).
Owens is very forthright about being drawn into the space, struggling with his (always) conflicting feelings about being involved in InfoWars, and peddling straight-up conspiracies.
I hope that this book ends up in the hands of the people who need it the most, but something tells me that won’t happen as often as I’d like.
4/5 ⭐️ - I can’t say this was an enjoyable read, but I am glad I read it. This book is scheduled to be released on 4/14/26. #TheMadnessofBelieving #NetGalley
I’ll start off by saying this was not an easy read in the sense that I found it extremely frustrating. Props to Josh Owens for being so candid in this book. Like many other readers, I was impressed by the fact that his girlfriend stood by him and continually tried to get him to break out of working for Alex Jones. I have SO MANY thoughts about Alex Jones, but I’ll just stick to thoughts on the book here.
The Madness of Believing chronicles Josh Owens’s further and further involvement in Alex Jones & InfoWars orbit. Owens joined InfoWars when it was still considered fringe, and was with Jones until InfoWars became more mainstream (to the detriment of us all).
Owens is very forthright about being drawn into the space, struggling with his (always) conflicting feelings about being involved in InfoWars, and peddling straight-up conspiracies.
I hope that this book ends up in the hands of the people who need it the most, but something tells me that won’t happen as often as I’d like.
4/5 ⭐️ - I can’t say this was an enjoyable read, but I am glad I read it. This book is scheduled to be released on 4/14/26. #TheMadnessofBelieving #NetGalley
April 27, 2026
I am uncertain about how I feel about this and how I should rate it.
If you are interested in what Infowars truly was and is, I think this book is a solid source. The dates of Owens's employment were perfect for an expose. Being there for the initial uptick in public attention, Infowars transformation into a supplement hawker, Jones's embrace of Trump, and deterioration due to alcoholism.
Owens takes ownership of this role in creating and spreading the harmful propaganda. He details his internal battle with the manipulation, the deception, and the creeping realization of the hate underlying Jones's rhetoric and worldview. However, this acceptance and understanding came late and signals a cowardice or lack of true consideration.
The hate inside Alex Jones was obvious in 2008. It was his conclusion to everything. Jones formed his narratives to get there. He absolutely hid this better than he does now but anyone in his miserable listening orbit had to know. Working for the man in 2013? Come on.
Sandy Hook is glaring absent in this book. This weighs heavy on the legacy and history of Alex Jones and Infowars. Owens does not discuss his role (or lack of role) in the spreading of harm and sorrow. It would be an awful matter to discuss. Any role played would be sickening. But Owens swallowed that poison when he accepted a job.
If you are interested in what Infowars truly was and is, I think this book is a solid source. The dates of Owens's employment were perfect for an expose. Being there for the initial uptick in public attention, Infowars transformation into a supplement hawker, Jones's embrace of Trump, and deterioration due to alcoholism.
Owens takes ownership of this role in creating and spreading the harmful propaganda. He details his internal battle with the manipulation, the deception, and the creeping realization of the hate underlying Jones's rhetoric and worldview. However, this acceptance and understanding came late and signals a cowardice or lack of true consideration.
The hate inside Alex Jones was obvious in 2008. It was his conclusion to everything. Jones formed his narratives to get there. He absolutely hid this better than he does now but anyone in his miserable listening orbit had to know. Working for the man in 2013? Come on.
Sandy Hook is glaring absent in this book. This weighs heavy on the legacy and history of Alex Jones and Infowars. Owens does not discuss his role (or lack of role) in the spreading of harm and sorrow. It would be an awful matter to discuss. Any role played would be sickening. But Owens swallowed that poison when he accepted a job.
May 7, 2026
Pure unadulterated literary clickbait. And I use the term "literary" here in a very broad, expansive sense. Honestly, how can someone have worked with Alex Jones for FOUR YEARS and not managed to come up with even ONE scintillating detail??? How, I ask you??? Instead, we get to hear about how the author earned $96,000/yr, was wined and dined on the regular, lied on his resume (Re: his camera skills) yet still felt crestfallen when called out on his constant ineptitude, how all his coworkers were simultaneously idiots but also good friends, and most bizarrely how he was afraid all the time of everyone, anyone, his own shadow, etc. I am guessing that someone offered him a fair sum of money if he could conjure up something exciting about Alex Jones (is there such a thing?), and having failed to produce that, the author gave us instead your standard existential slop (I don't know who I am, what I do, where I'm going, what time it is, what is life, etc). If you want a salacious expose on Alex Jones, dear reader, you have come to the wrong place. But if you want a rambling, incoherent journal of a shiftless, aimless, and directionless young man, then, by all means, pick up a copy at your local bookseller. **I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway, but all opinions are my own.
July 6, 2026
*Listened to on audiobook
As someone who didn't know much about Alex Jones beyond a vague knowledge of the Sandy Hook lawsuits and an even vaguer sense of his general wack-job political leanings (oh, and a few of his famous soundbites, like liberal liberal liberal which my friends and I quote back at each other on the regular), this book really interested me due to its insights on his character and absolutely morally corrupt business practices/presentation of facts. I think Owens does a good job highlighting both and also creating a cohesive narrative across multiple years and experience. I also didn't know how much Trump drew from Jones and vica versa! How is this guy in charge wtf.
I agree with other commentators who said Owens himself could have taken more personal responsibility/reflection. While we're constantly told that he felt bad, Owens skirts around aligning himself with the beliefs that Jones pushed forward. He implies that he held beliefs that aligned at some point with Jones but never truly states them, which I think detracts from the narrative of growth? I also get what some people are saying about the novel not revealing much that wasn't already known, but as someone who didn't know much about Jones I personally felt like I learned a lot!
As someone who didn't know much about Alex Jones beyond a vague knowledge of the Sandy Hook lawsuits and an even vaguer sense of his general wack-job political leanings (oh, and a few of his famous soundbites, like liberal liberal liberal which my friends and I quote back at each other on the regular), this book really interested me due to its insights on his character and absolutely morally corrupt business practices/presentation of facts. I think Owens does a good job highlighting both and also creating a cohesive narrative across multiple years and experience. I also didn't know how much Trump drew from Jones and vica versa! How is this guy in charge wtf.
I agree with other commentators who said Owens himself could have taken more personal responsibility/reflection. While we're constantly told that he felt bad, Owens skirts around aligning himself with the beliefs that Jones pushed forward. He implies that he held beliefs that aligned at some point with Jones but never truly states them, which I think detracts from the narrative of growth? I also get what some people are saying about the novel not revealing much that wasn't already known, but as someone who didn't know much about Jones I personally felt like I learned a lot!
July 4, 2026
There’s not a ton to say about this book. I’m sure many people will enjoy it. I’m just not a huge fan of memoirs. The author was a young guy looking for a job and landed at Info Wars, working for Alex Jones. During his time there, he saw how unhinged Alex Jones was and the awful things Jones instructed his staff to do to keep growing Info Wars and milk their audience for every penny they could.
The author eventually starts struggling with the morality of what they’re doing and leaves Info Wars. When I pick up books like this, I’m hoping to learn some things I didn’t know. I want that “behind the scenes” look at things. Now that I write that, I guess I did get a decent amount of that. In this book, I think we learn that while Alex Jones seems like a grifter, he actually believes a ton of the crazy stuff he says, and he’s a drunk. We learn a bit about Alex’s background, and some of the other people who work or have worked for Info Wars.
There’s a lot of info in this book that you probably already know if you follow news about Alex Jones, but I imagine this book is pretty decent for those who don’t know much about Jones and want to learn more about him.
The author eventually starts struggling with the morality of what they’re doing and leaves Info Wars. When I pick up books like this, I’m hoping to learn some things I didn’t know. I want that “behind the scenes” look at things. Now that I write that, I guess I did get a decent amount of that. In this book, I think we learn that while Alex Jones seems like a grifter, he actually believes a ton of the crazy stuff he says, and he’s a drunk. We learn a bit about Alex’s background, and some of the other people who work or have worked for Info Wars.
There’s a lot of info in this book that you probably already know if you follow news about Alex Jones, but I imagine this book is pretty decent for those who don’t know much about Jones and want to learn more about him.
May 11, 2026
Super engrossing book. I've never watched a single Alex Jones podcast episode or consumed his content but I was fairly familiar with the harm his work was responsible for.
After reading this, I'm shocked by how much more direct harm this man's rhetoric and grift was responsible for. It truly boggles the mind.
I honestly think this was very fairly written. I mean. You can't get fairer than someone who entered the space very much a supporter and believer, whose opinion over time gradually was opened up after exposure to the ugly truth.
It was clear by the end of reading this that, like all humans, Alex Jones is not one-dimensional. Some things that are beyond the pale however are that he absolutely is abusive, manipulative and peddled a whole lot of bullshit that much of it he did not believe and used specifically for the purposes of misdirection and grifting.
One of the most common arguments I hear for him is that he might be wrong but he in earnest believes what he's saying. No. Much of the time he didn't believe it at all.
Definitely recommend you read.
After reading this, I'm shocked by how much more direct harm this man's rhetoric and grift was responsible for. It truly boggles the mind.
I honestly think this was very fairly written. I mean. You can't get fairer than someone who entered the space very much a supporter and believer, whose opinion over time gradually was opened up after exposure to the ugly truth.
It was clear by the end of reading this that, like all humans, Alex Jones is not one-dimensional. Some things that are beyond the pale however are that he absolutely is abusive, manipulative and peddled a whole lot of bullshit that much of it he did not believe and used specifically for the purposes of misdirection and grifting.
One of the most common arguments I hear for him is that he might be wrong but he in earnest believes what he's saying. No. Much of the time he didn't believe it at all.
Definitely recommend you read.
October 12, 2025
Its hard to really rate this.
On one hand its exactly as I was expecting. A lot of chaos with Alex Jones.
The other hand, I am still shaking my head as to why it took so long for the author to leave InfoWars.
The author suggests that he struggled with what he was doing, yet he continued.
The author never really comes out and apologizes for the chaos that he helped create. Yet, if not for the author, it would have been someone else.
I really didn't get the "madness" of believing. I think that he got caught up in something, when he was younger and NOW wants to write about it.
It was an easy read, nothing hard to figure out what he was doing.
I am not even certain who this book is for? I know it won't be for fans of ALex Jones, though the author never says anything really terrible about him.
Thank you to the publisher and NEtgalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review .
On one hand its exactly as I was expecting. A lot of chaos with Alex Jones.
The other hand, I am still shaking my head as to why it took so long for the author to leave InfoWars.
The author suggests that he struggled with what he was doing, yet he continued.
The author never really comes out and apologizes for the chaos that he helped create. Yet, if not for the author, it would have been someone else.
I really didn't get the "madness" of believing. I think that he got caught up in something, when he was younger and NOW wants to write about it.
It was an easy read, nothing hard to figure out what he was doing.
I am not even certain who this book is for? I know it won't be for fans of ALex Jones, though the author never says anything really terrible about him.
Thank you to the publisher and NEtgalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review .
June 6, 2026
I think alot of the disappointed reviews were looking for a clear mia culpa on the part of Josh Owens and a list of reasons Alex Jones is a bad person (as if anyone needs more reasons).
Instead the most interesting part of the book revolved around the web of connections Jones spun to increase his brand, from Duke to Farrakhan to Tucker Carlson. This orbit agreed on little beyond that there are rouge "elites" out there who they are fighting, and that they are a force for the oppressed and attacked. If you accept the premise that the world can be simplified down to the masses versus a shadowy cabal, does it really matter if you and someone else disagree on who occupies the top?
As a book, It's hindered by Josh's constant need to correct and revise the record. It's abundantly clear already that his politics and worldview has changed, there's no need for him to interrupt key meetings/events to describe in detail how he doesn't agree with what is being said.
Instead the most interesting part of the book revolved around the web of connections Jones spun to increase his brand, from Duke to Farrakhan to Tucker Carlson. This orbit agreed on little beyond that there are rouge "elites" out there who they are fighting, and that they are a force for the oppressed and attacked. If you accept the premise that the world can be simplified down to the masses versus a shadowy cabal, does it really matter if you and someone else disagree on who occupies the top?
As a book, It's hindered by Josh's constant need to correct and revise the record. It's abundantly clear already that his politics and worldview has changed, there's no need for him to interrupt key meetings/events to describe in detail how he doesn't agree with what is being said.
April 15, 2026
The Madness of Believing is a gripping and eye opening memoir that offers a rare, inside perspective on the world of conspiracy media and disinformation. Josh Owens presents a personal journey that is both compelling and deeply reflective.
What makes this book stand out is its focus on the psychological and emotional progression of belief. The author’s transformation from curiosity to involvement to eventual skepticism adds depth and authenticity to the narrative.
The memoir also provides valuable insight into how misinformation systems operate and how individuals can become deeply embedded within them. It balances personal storytelling with broader social commentary in a way that feels accessible and thought-provoking.
A powerful and timely read that encourages reflection on belief, influence, and the modern information landscape.
What makes this book stand out is its focus on the psychological and emotional progression of belief. The author’s transformation from curiosity to involvement to eventual skepticism adds depth and authenticity to the narrative.
The memoir also provides valuable insight into how misinformation systems operate and how individuals can become deeply embedded within them. It balances personal storytelling with broader social commentary in a way that feels accessible and thought-provoking.
A powerful and timely read that encourages reflection on belief, influence, and the modern information landscape.
April 17, 2026
I give this 3.5 stars; this is a first book that took courage to write. I always appreciate when people who've left various terrible situations tell their stories, especially when there is an NDA involved. I wish there had been more self-reflection, and more information about what it was like to be, at first, a true believer. I just wanted...more? More discussions of what led to the author to stay and leave. But the descriptions of deceit and lies were facinating and upsetting. The stories about Jones behind the scenes are not that surprising, considering how he acts in front of all of America every day. I enjoyed the parts with Jon Ronson, a journalist I've always enjoyed reading. Overall, I recommend it, although you might finish a little unsatisfied. I think the writer should be proud of how far he's come.
June 6, 2026
It was a peek into another world which I was never interested. I heard Josh on The Guardian podcast how his life was submerged and changed his opinions even though he came from different perspective.
So I picked up this book out of curiosity.
Josh is a good writer as he was able to convey the events and his feelings eloquently. Also he understands what role he played as all those small "minor" decisions were bad decisions eventually built up to a culmination. That is all part of life and how we all get to that one decision to get out of the bad situation in order to redeem ourselves.
Life is about learning about ourselves and learning from our mistakes as we all want to be a better person.
So I picked up this book out of curiosity.
Josh is a good writer as he was able to convey the events and his feelings eloquently. Also he understands what role he played as all those small "minor" decisions were bad decisions eventually built up to a culmination. That is all part of life and how we all get to that one decision to get out of the bad situation in order to redeem ourselves.
Life is about learning about ourselves and learning from our mistakes as we all want to be a better person.
May 13, 2026
Great book! Well written and engaging. It should be read by everyone who believes in conspiracy theories to see how they (the theories) are born and spun, and how easily someone can get you to believe the most insane ideas if you LET them! I'm sure that Josh Owens wishes that he had written the book sooner, or perhaps had never been a witness and a participant in Alex Jones's madness to begin with. Even though it did not put the final nail into Alex Jones's proverbial coffin, it did help to shed light and strengthen legal cases against him. Sadly, Jones is not the only destructive, repugnant
liar out there with a megaphone. May they all be exposed for who and what they really are.
liar out there with a megaphone. May they all be exposed for who and what they really are.
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