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The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist’s Journey from Violent Extremism to Radical Compassion
How does an affluent, middle-class, private-school-attending son of a doctor end up at the Aryan Nations compound in Idaho, falling in with and then recruiting for some of the most notorious neo-Nazi groups in Canada and the United States?
The Cure for Hate paints a very human picture of a young man who craved attention, acceptance, and approval and the dark place he would go to get it. Tony McAleer found an outlet for his teenage rage in the street violence of the skinhead scene. He then grew deeply involved in the White Aryan Resistance (WAR), rising through the ranks to become a leader, and embraced technology and the budding internet to bring white nationalist propaganda into the digital age. After fifteen years in the movement, it was the outpouring of love he felt at the birth of his children that inspired him to start questioning his hateful beliefs. Thus began the spiritual journey of personal transformation that enabled him to disengage from the highest levels of the white power movement.
This incisive book breaks commonly held stereotypes and delivers valuable insights into how regular people are drawn to violent extremism, how the ideology takes hold, and the best ways to help someone leave hate behind. In his candid and introspective memoir, Tony shares his perspective gleaned from over a thousand hours of therapy, group work, and facilitating change in others that reveals the deeper psychological causes behind racism. At a period in history when instances of racial violence are on the upswing, The Cure for Hate demonstrates that in a society frighteningly divided by hate and in need of healing, perhaps atonement, forgiveness, and most importantly, radical compassion is the cure.
The Cure for Hate paints a very human picture of a young man who craved attention, acceptance, and approval and the dark place he would go to get it. Tony McAleer found an outlet for his teenage rage in the street violence of the skinhead scene. He then grew deeply involved in the White Aryan Resistance (WAR), rising through the ranks to become a leader, and embraced technology and the budding internet to bring white nationalist propaganda into the digital age. After fifteen years in the movement, it was the outpouring of love he felt at the birth of his children that inspired him to start questioning his hateful beliefs. Thus began the spiritual journey of personal transformation that enabled him to disengage from the highest levels of the white power movement.
This incisive book breaks commonly held stereotypes and delivers valuable insights into how regular people are drawn to violent extremism, how the ideology takes hold, and the best ways to help someone leave hate behind. In his candid and introspective memoir, Tony shares his perspective gleaned from over a thousand hours of therapy, group work, and facilitating change in others that reveals the deeper psychological causes behind racism. At a period in history when instances of racial violence are on the upswing, The Cure for Hate demonstrates that in a society frighteningly divided by hate and in need of healing, perhaps atonement, forgiveness, and most importantly, radical compassion is the cure.
- GenresNonfictionMemoirCanada
320 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2019
21 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
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August 13, 2022
3.3 *
A true story written by Tony McAlee describing what led him to becomes a member of the white supremacist movement, and ultimately how and why he left.
Beginning in early childhood in a well off family, I was surprised to learn Tony did not learn about the world of hate at the dinner table. His parents beliefs were the opposite of what Tony grew up to despise. When his father came on on very rare occasions, Tony relished in the moments of his father's attention and tried to win approval any way he could. The result of Tony's disappointment caused anger and rebellion which would mold his character for the next twenty five years. He found an outlet for his rage and rebellion and an inlet for those who would give him the attention and approval he craved. The White Supremacist movement was thrilled to receive their newest member-Tony.
Fast forward through his rise in power and TV appearances, he at some point thankfully, recognized his worldwide reputation as a w.s. was something he didn't want his children to aspire to as their role model. With help from professionals Tony began slowly turning himself around.
The problem he would deal with and still does is having enemies on both sides..
A true story written by Tony McAlee describing what led him to becomes a member of the white supremacist movement, and ultimately how and why he left.
Beginning in early childhood in a well off family, I was surprised to learn Tony did not learn about the world of hate at the dinner table. His parents beliefs were the opposite of what Tony grew up to despise. When his father came on on very rare occasions, Tony relished in the moments of his father's attention and tried to win approval any way he could. The result of Tony's disappointment caused anger and rebellion which would mold his character for the next twenty five years. He found an outlet for his rage and rebellion and an inlet for those who would give him the attention and approval he craved. The White Supremacist movement was thrilled to receive their newest member-Tony.
Fast forward through his rise in power and TV appearances, he at some point thankfully, recognized his worldwide reputation as a w.s. was something he didn't want his children to aspire to as their role model. With help from professionals Tony began slowly turning himself around.
The problem he would deal with and still does is having enemies on both sides..
July 7, 2020
This could have been a ten page article. There was nothing really wrong with it, but the author only tells, rather than showing, so a lot of what he tells is redundant. I didn't find the book very emotionally wrenching for this reason, and I don't think it gave me a great portrait of what it's like in a white supremacist movement. Especially the last part, which was very much "I did this. I founded this. I stepped up. I stepped down. I did this." This could be very enlightening if you know someone who's being radicalized or are on the path to deradicalization yourself. I also imagine it would be a good book for people who don't read much, which is a positive in this case. However, it really would be best as an article. There just wasn't a lot said in the pages/
November 13, 2019
Tony McAleer was an affluent middle-class, private school-attending son of a doctor who ended up spending 15 years as a leader, recruiter, and propagandist for the white supremacist movement in the US and Canada. The birth of his children inspired him to not only leave the movement but begin a process of combatting the kind of hateful ideologies he formerly espoused.
In The Cure For Hate, McAleer examines stereotypes and delivers valuable insights into how regular people are drawn to violent extremism, how the ideology takes hold and the best ways to help someone leave hate behind through “radical compassion.”
There are interesting bits to this book, but I felt that the first couple of thirds were a bit too devoted to covering in-depth the administration and business of running hate groups, and I would have preferred greater coverage of the human stories behind other people in the groups, and perhaps more case studies showing how McAleer's methods have helped to cure hate.
Still hopefully this book will reach someone who needs it or their family, and help to instil real change.
In The Cure For Hate, McAleer examines stereotypes and delivers valuable insights into how regular people are drawn to violent extremism, how the ideology takes hold and the best ways to help someone leave hate behind through “radical compassion.”
There are interesting bits to this book, but I felt that the first couple of thirds were a bit too devoted to covering in-depth the administration and business of running hate groups, and I would have preferred greater coverage of the human stories behind other people in the groups, and perhaps more case studies showing how McAleer's methods have helped to cure hate.
Still hopefully this book will reach someone who needs it or their family, and help to instil real change.
September 27, 2022
McAleer's personal cure for his white supremacist views and acts of violence in a chronological order: 1. Having children. 2. Physical distance from hate group. 3. Romantic relationships outside hate group. 4. Learning meditation practices that help detach oneself from thought patterns and identity from ideology. 5. Therapy. 6. The most impactful: receiving radical compassion from hate victims, defined as "compassion for people we don't like", but also "compassion for the self, which amplifies our capacity to serve others." (p. 151) This concept resonates with several spiritual traditions for me, but I guess it is more inclusive to have secular versions of it as well.
The messages about disconnection from and reconnection to humanity seem simple at times, but overall this is a relevant and powerfully reflective autobiography. Incredible that both the violent first half and altruistic second half are about the same person. Gives me hope and motivation in the face of foreign and domestic hate crimes.
On a shelf, this book would sit beautifully next to "Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement" which explores grassroots-level cures for systemic violence from the perspective of marginalised people.
The messages about disconnection from and reconnection to humanity seem simple at times, but overall this is a relevant and powerfully reflective autobiography. Incredible that both the violent first half and altruistic second half are about the same person. Gives me hope and motivation in the face of foreign and domestic hate crimes.
On a shelf, this book would sit beautifully next to "Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement" which explores grassroots-level cures for systemic violence from the perspective of marginalised people.
January 12, 2020
This book opened my eyes in many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
May 17, 2021
Really thoughtful path from White supremacy to compassionate human. It's helpful to see how he describes his changes in attitude, along with what pushed him to make progress. I think we need a lot of people to come back down from the ledge of Trump. This gave me some strategies to talk to my family members that don't understand the relationship between today's politics and White supremacy.
January 12, 2020
By chance, The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist's Journey from Violent Extremism to Radical Compassion finally came up on my library holds just a few days after an impulse purchase of Turning Darkness Into Light, so I read them within a day of each other. They both are about overcoming hatred and divisions in a time of increasing violent extremism, though one is a fantasy novel and one is a memoir, so they bounced off each other in interesting ways.
Turning Darkness Into Light was first, a standalone continuation of the Lady Trent series (beginning with A Natural History of Dragons). Those books were all about tolerance, beginning with the trials of a young woman with a scientific mind living in a Victorian-like society where she is supposed to make an advantageous marriage and have lots of babies. That series gradually broadened the horizons of empathy and acceptance, from women's rights to class issues to xenophobia and racism, until
It is now decades in the future, and Lady Trent's granddaughter, Audrey, a young and very capable philologist with an emphasis on draconean translations, has been hired to translate a newly discovered set of ancient plaques that appear to be the draconean's founding myth. Hijinks ensue, because of course, and it turns out that there is a conspiracy among a few sects of humans who are essentially human supremacists, willing to use violence to maintain the segregation between species and assert the right of humans to dominate and control the draconeans, through any means necessary. In 21st century speak: they want to spark a race war.
Audrey is a very believable heroine, and of course Isabella makes an appearance or two. There is less gallivanting in this novel--most of it takes place in one house--but it expands on the theme of acceptance of difference and defence of universal rights begun in the first series. It is recognizably more modern, and some of the dialogue from the human supremacists could be lifted with very few changes from a Heritage Front website.
It was utterly engrossing, well-plotted and -paced, and well written.
And then the next day I read The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist's Journey from Violent Extremism to Radical Compassion, the memoir of a Canadian who is radicalized as a Vancouver teen, progressing from the new skinhead subculture through to a very public leadership position in various white supremacist organizations, and who then ... leaves. Only he doesn't just leave. He does very substantial work over a number of years to fully understand the harm of what he's done, make meaningful apologies, atone, and then dedicate his life to helping others leave violent extremist groups and assisting the populations and communities they target.
It, too, was completely engrossing. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a few hours. The writing wasn't the most polished I've come across, and at times the storytelling felt a bit scattered and disorganized, but overall it comes together in an encouraging and hopeful story about repentance, change and redemption.
There's only one substantial point I disagree with the author on, and it's his argument that hate speech laws etc. serve to drive the speech and actions underground where, he says, it becomes impossible to discuss and dispel them, and he says this makes hate groups and their actions stronger. But his own story belies this (not to mention the research showing how properly-enforced hate speech regulations make it much more difficult for hate groups to recruit and radicalize potential members): if it weren't for the social and professional consequences of his actions, the possibility of jail time, the increasing penalties placed on his own hate speech, etc., what would have been the incentive for him to leave those groups behind? Yes, his children brought to him the possibility of unconditional love and opening his heart again; but it's also the knowledge that his actions potentially harm his children and their prospects that encourages him to think again. Yes, his encounter with a formerly-Jewish person who hears his story of his skinhead and white supremacist years with forgiveness and compassion is clearly a significant turning point; but without the social and professional consequences of his hate actions, what would have impelled him to have that conversation?
Not to mention the fact that as a white man he's never had to have the "debates" about his own rights and humanity, not just in person but broadcast on television and the internet, and the recaps of those debates in the press, ad nauseum, and the way they suffuse the entire culture so you never know when you're meeting or talking to someone if they think you're a person or not, so he doesn't know the harm that having those debates and conversations in public can cause. Which is ironic, because he does discuss at length in other parts of the book the toxic shame that results from membership in a group that is routinely discriminated against. Well, where does that come from?
In Turning Darkness Into Light, Audrey's former love interest, Aaron, is an irritating and interesting young man of a type that will be known to many women reading this: Extremely smart. Charming. Good conversationalist. Flattering. Pays attention and treats your opinions with respect. But also steals your ideas and takes credit for them, never acknowledges or apologizes for what he's done, and when you get to know him better, has some pretty appalling opinions about other demographics. Kind of like Tony McAleer portrays himself in the memoir, though I doubt he ever did much to hide his opinions on other races when he met women as a young man. In the novel, Aaron is brilliant, attentive, charming, funny, adventurous ... and he steals Audrey's work and belongs to one of the less-violent anti-draconean factions. Kind of like Tony in his respectable white-supremacist-businessman phase, he doesn't dole out the bloodshed, but he does promote hatred. (This is all back-story to the novel, by the way; Audrey recaps it almost as soon as Aaron is introduced, so these actions are not part of this novel. No spoilers!)
And Audrey does not scorch and salt the earth of their former relationship. She makes it clear that she finds the views repugnant, but leaves the door open for him to re-enter her life if he changes those views. Normally, I would take a pretty dim view of that decision: of course he's never going to change! But it's hard to be so certain on the heels of The Cure for Hate.
I highly recommend both books, and think they make a great pair to read together, particularly with violent extremism and far-right politics on the rise in so many places. There's a lot of good and a lot of hope to get from each.
Turning Darkness Into Light was first, a standalone continuation of the Lady Trent series (beginning with A Natural History of Dragons). Those books were all about tolerance, beginning with the trials of a young woman with a scientific mind living in a Victorian-like society where she is supposed to make an advantageous marriage and have lots of babies. That series gradually broadened the horizons of empathy and acceptance, from women's rights to class issues to xenophobia and racism, until
It is now decades in the future, and Lady Trent's granddaughter, Audrey, a young and very capable philologist with an emphasis on draconean translations, has been hired to translate a newly discovered set of ancient plaques that appear to be the draconean's founding myth. Hijinks ensue, because of course, and it turns out that there is a conspiracy among a few sects of humans who are essentially human supremacists, willing to use violence to maintain the segregation between species and assert the right of humans to dominate and control the draconeans, through any means necessary. In 21st century speak: they want to spark a race war.
Audrey is a very believable heroine, and of course Isabella makes an appearance or two. There is less gallivanting in this novel--most of it takes place in one house--but it expands on the theme of acceptance of difference and defence of universal rights begun in the first series. It is recognizably more modern, and some of the dialogue from the human supremacists could be lifted with very few changes from a Heritage Front website.
It was utterly engrossing, well-plotted and -paced, and well written.
And then the next day I read The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist's Journey from Violent Extremism to Radical Compassion, the memoir of a Canadian who is radicalized as a Vancouver teen, progressing from the new skinhead subculture through to a very public leadership position in various white supremacist organizations, and who then ... leaves. Only he doesn't just leave. He does very substantial work over a number of years to fully understand the harm of what he's done, make meaningful apologies, atone, and then dedicate his life to helping others leave violent extremist groups and assisting the populations and communities they target.
It, too, was completely engrossing. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a few hours. The writing wasn't the most polished I've come across, and at times the storytelling felt a bit scattered and disorganized, but overall it comes together in an encouraging and hopeful story about repentance, change and redemption.
There's only one substantial point I disagree with the author on, and it's his argument that hate speech laws etc. serve to drive the speech and actions underground where, he says, it becomes impossible to discuss and dispel them, and he says this makes hate groups and their actions stronger. But his own story belies this (not to mention the research showing how properly-enforced hate speech regulations make it much more difficult for hate groups to recruit and radicalize potential members): if it weren't for the social and professional consequences of his actions, the possibility of jail time, the increasing penalties placed on his own hate speech, etc., what would have been the incentive for him to leave those groups behind? Yes, his children brought to him the possibility of unconditional love and opening his heart again; but it's also the knowledge that his actions potentially harm his children and their prospects that encourages him to think again. Yes, his encounter with a formerly-Jewish person who hears his story of his skinhead and white supremacist years with forgiveness and compassion is clearly a significant turning point; but without the social and professional consequences of his hate actions, what would have impelled him to have that conversation?
Not to mention the fact that as a white man he's never had to have the "debates" about his own rights and humanity, not just in person but broadcast on television and the internet, and the recaps of those debates in the press, ad nauseum, and the way they suffuse the entire culture so you never know when you're meeting or talking to someone if they think you're a person or not, so he doesn't know the harm that having those debates and conversations in public can cause. Which is ironic, because he does discuss at length in other parts of the book the toxic shame that results from membership in a group that is routinely discriminated against. Well, where does that come from?
In Turning Darkness Into Light, Audrey's former love interest, Aaron, is an irritating and interesting young man of a type that will be known to many women reading this: Extremely smart. Charming. Good conversationalist. Flattering. Pays attention and treats your opinions with respect. But also steals your ideas and takes credit for them, never acknowledges or apologizes for what he's done, and when you get to know him better, has some pretty appalling opinions about other demographics. Kind of like Tony McAleer portrays himself in the memoir, though I doubt he ever did much to hide his opinions on other races when he met women as a young man. In the novel, Aaron is brilliant, attentive, charming, funny, adventurous ... and he steals Audrey's work and belongs to one of the less-violent anti-draconean factions. Kind of like Tony in his respectable white-supremacist-businessman phase, he doesn't dole out the bloodshed, but he does promote hatred. (This is all back-story to the novel, by the way; Audrey recaps it almost as soon as Aaron is introduced, so these actions are not part of this novel. No spoilers!)
And Audrey does not scorch and salt the earth of their former relationship. She makes it clear that she finds the views repugnant, but leaves the door open for him to re-enter her life if he changes those views. Normally, I would take a pretty dim view of that decision: of course he's never going to change! But it's hard to be so certain on the heels of The Cure for Hate.
I highly recommend both books, and think they make a great pair to read together, particularly with violent extremism and far-right politics on the rise in so many places. There's a lot of good and a lot of hope to get from each.
December 17, 2019
Fascinating and a really good reminder that yes, we have white supremacists in Canada, even on the west coast.
November 28, 2020
I’ve started a stack of memoirs by “formers”—mostly men who have left extreme violent groups: white supremacists, radical Islamists, etc. I’m curious to see if there are literary patterns of conversion narratives and, practical tips to fight extremism. There are interesting chapters about the skinhead movement in the Pacific Northwest. Tony’s breezy story, as he tells it, gets him off lightly though. After some high-profile media appearances on daytime talks, and some early-adaption to internet communication, he drifted away from the movement as he, well, grew up, faced responsibilities as a single-parent and, unpredictably, discovered meditation. There are some insightful chapters about the spiritual and psychological damage characteristic of people in the movement, boiled down to ‘deep shame.’ McAleer’s memoir is one of the more recent ones, and so has some tidbits about Trump (defunded a grant to his group) and the post-Charlottesville right. The chapters on forgiveness are great.
January 10, 2024
Honestly if I could have given this book a higher rating I would have. Truly extraordinary the path that the author took. I can’t even explain it but I think it is a book that everyone should read at least once in their life 💕
March 13, 2020
A former white supremacist's journey from violent extremism to radical compassion. Wow! What a story.
June 14, 2020
Completely Blown Away.
This book was intense. The author never downplays or shrugs off his lived experience and hate that led to his involvement in white Supremacy. Instead he explains the situations that led to his pain, and how his cure for that pain was “falling into” white supremacy groups.
He really shows through his own story, stories of other White Supremacist and peer-reviewed research and statistics the commonality of these followers, and their inability to leave.
It was intensely moving to witness his change, and the breaking of shielding around him. But it also more importantly taught the paths to stop radical extremism and white supremacist, and gave great insight into the ideology and mentality. Including how to react to skinheads and other provocations.
There are many tear jerking moments, never really about him, but the compassion of which he fights for victims of terrorist attacks. It also tracts the ripple effects of motions he put in place in the 80 that are still active 2020.
During this time of discord and uprising in the US and else where, it is interesting to learn the life part of someone who is so different from me. I cannot understand why anyone would question the BLM movement, or defunding police, and questioning if systemic racism exists. Someone so full of hate that they attack, abuse and counter lived experiences of other people and debase them as less than human. I can’t full understand how someone could be in so much pain and isolation that this path feels healing. This book allowed me to see how. Offered ways to counter this. And a path forward to those wishing to escape.
The book is powerful. Beautifully written. And full of healing.
This book was intense. The author never downplays or shrugs off his lived experience and hate that led to his involvement in white Supremacy. Instead he explains the situations that led to his pain, and how his cure for that pain was “falling into” white supremacy groups.
He really shows through his own story, stories of other White Supremacist and peer-reviewed research and statistics the commonality of these followers, and their inability to leave.
It was intensely moving to witness his change, and the breaking of shielding around him. But it also more importantly taught the paths to stop radical extremism and white supremacist, and gave great insight into the ideology and mentality. Including how to react to skinheads and other provocations.
There are many tear jerking moments, never really about him, but the compassion of which he fights for victims of terrorist attacks. It also tracts the ripple effects of motions he put in place in the 80 that are still active 2020.
During this time of discord and uprising in the US and else where, it is interesting to learn the life part of someone who is so different from me. I cannot understand why anyone would question the BLM movement, or defunding police, and questioning if systemic racism exists. Someone so full of hate that they attack, abuse and counter lived experiences of other people and debase them as less than human. I can’t full understand how someone could be in so much pain and isolation that this path feels healing. This book allowed me to see how. Offered ways to counter this. And a path forward to those wishing to escape.
The book is powerful. Beautifully written. And full of healing.
January 4, 2021
One of the reviews for this book says “it should have been a 10 page article”.
I completely disagree.
This book was meant to go in all phases of the Author’s life in order for you to truly understand the power of the words and actions he mentions towards the end of the book. It goes full circle.
I read this book because one of my close friends voted for Donald Trump. I wanted to know how to proceed with my friend when I see so much far-right in modern day conservatism. This book is important.
It ties a lot of concepts that I learned in the book “The Four Agreements”.
It’s not just about how he was in a Neo-Nazi movement, it’s about modern values that have long gone been forgotten and we need to re-instate.
There are many concepts in this book like toxic shame, forgiveness, the psychology of being accepted, violence, & love. They all came together beautifully to create “The Cure for Hate.”
I highly recommend this book to anyone with conservative friends. (Or anyone really because it has great life lessons)
I completely disagree.
This book was meant to go in all phases of the Author’s life in order for you to truly understand the power of the words and actions he mentions towards the end of the book. It goes full circle.
I read this book because one of my close friends voted for Donald Trump. I wanted to know how to proceed with my friend when I see so much far-right in modern day conservatism. This book is important.
It ties a lot of concepts that I learned in the book “The Four Agreements”.
It’s not just about how he was in a Neo-Nazi movement, it’s about modern values that have long gone been forgotten and we need to re-instate.
There are many concepts in this book like toxic shame, forgiveness, the psychology of being accepted, violence, & love. They all came together beautifully to create “The Cure for Hate.”
I highly recommend this book to anyone with conservative friends. (Or anyone really because it has great life lessons)
January 10, 2026
This work comes as a recommendation as the best of the ex-Neo Nazi memoirs. I have not read nearly enough to make this assertion but, I can recognize some of the invaluable insight and perspective as a landmark in its realm. I will list my noted passages on some themes that are so well done and make reading this work absolutely worth it.
ROMANTICIZED FRAMING
"In the moment, all terrorist groups see themselves as involved in a heroic struggle where any means necessary are justified to remove the perceived opponent. Everything becomes romanticized by the propaganda." (p. 83)
NARCISSISM
"The attention and the growing notoriety fueled my sense of self-importance [...] which means I could influence—and harm—more people than I could have dreamed of [...] I could unleash the most powerful weapon in my arsenal—my voice. I would now have real power. (p. 90)
PURITY SPIRAL
"I was approaching peak hubris and narcissism. In my arrogance, I believed I was untouchable, too clever and too cocky to get caught [...] There is nothing anyone could have said or done then that would have convinced me to alter my path. I was, at the point, all in. Looking back, I've come to realize that this of the embracing of white supremacist philosophy was not the result of a single moment but rather a slide toward a normalization of the extreme. Once a particular level of extremism is normalized, the next step is possible—and with each step, there is greater access to harder and darker beliefs, propaganda, and conspiracies. (p. 110-111)
MASCULINITY
"The imagery, ideology, music, and violence conjured powerful emotions, a swirling mix of pride, power, camaraderie, kinship, and bravery that fed into a specific idealized sense of masculinity. In a world where young men were looking to find their place [...] this [...] laid out a simple yet brutal blueprint[.] (p. 93)
IDENTITY
"The core beliefs that make up the foundation of our identity affect and filter any new perceptions that arise throughout our lives and actually form part of the rational brain [...] White supremacist ideology became so intertwined with my identity that there was nothing anyone could have said to me to talk me out of my position [...] because it wasn't just what I believed; it was at the heart of who I was[.] (p. 156)
ROMANTICIZED FRAMING
"In the moment, all terrorist groups see themselves as involved in a heroic struggle where any means necessary are justified to remove the perceived opponent. Everything becomes romanticized by the propaganda." (p. 83)
NARCISSISM
"The attention and the growing notoriety fueled my sense of self-importance [...] which means I could influence—and harm—more people than I could have dreamed of [...] I could unleash the most powerful weapon in my arsenal—my voice. I would now have real power. (p. 90)
PURITY SPIRAL
"I was approaching peak hubris and narcissism. In my arrogance, I believed I was untouchable, too clever and too cocky to get caught [...] There is nothing anyone could have said or done then that would have convinced me to alter my path. I was, at the point, all in. Looking back, I've come to realize that this of the embracing of white supremacist philosophy was not the result of a single moment but rather a slide toward a normalization of the extreme. Once a particular level of extremism is normalized, the next step is possible—and with each step, there is greater access to harder and darker beliefs, propaganda, and conspiracies. (p. 110-111)
MASCULINITY
"The imagery, ideology, music, and violence conjured powerful emotions, a swirling mix of pride, power, camaraderie, kinship, and bravery that fed into a specific idealized sense of masculinity. In a world where young men were looking to find their place [...] this [...] laid out a simple yet brutal blueprint[.] (p. 93)
IDENTITY
"The core beliefs that make up the foundation of our identity affect and filter any new perceptions that arise throughout our lives and actually form part of the rational brain [...] White supremacist ideology became so intertwined with my identity that there was nothing anyone could have said to me to talk me out of my position [...] because it wasn't just what I believed; it was at the heart of who I was[.] (p. 156)
August 22, 2022
As an anti-bias trainer who works with law enforcement on topics like unconscious bias, hate crimes, and violent extremism, I found McAleer's story to be incredibly insightful about how people can be drawn into extremist ideologies - not so much because of the ideologies themselves, but because of the connection and community that they offer. This book has provided a much deeper understanding about the complexities of our vulnerabilities and how, when combined with life's circumstances, they have the potential to lead us down a dangerous path. More importantly, McAleer offers hope for a pathway through that darkness and into a brighter future.
February 2, 2023
For me this book was enlightening and challenged some of my assumptions about how hate and extremism continue to persist. It does not offer us a solution at scale, but a perspective and approach on how we might move forward to better counter hate.
November 5, 2023
Interesting to read, felt a tiny but preachy at times
October 3, 2024
Very admirable how the author goes from skinhead to promoter of non hate.
Not a cure for everyone. He spent a lot of time being analyzed and treated.
Wish there was a simple cure.
Not a cure for everyone. He spent a lot of time being analyzed and treated.
Wish there was a simple cure.
October 13, 2025
**3.5**
A great insight into what makes violent extremism so appealing- I found the psychological and sociological aspects very interesting and I loved how self reflective Tony is in this book.
A great insight into what makes violent extremism so appealing- I found the psychological and sociological aspects very interesting and I loved how self reflective Tony is in this book.
February 8, 2021
I appreciated hearing Tony's story about how he was introduced to the white supremacist movement, what made him stay and eventually how he transitioned out of it. I would have really appreciated more insight as to the inner-workings of the groups he was a part of, and some advice regarding how to address radicalization when you notice it occurring in someone you know. Overall, an interesting insight into a world and the motivations behind it of which I know little about.
January 18, 2021
Not much of a review but just my thoughts.....
This book was eye-opening and now that I am three-quarters of the way through, I regret not taking notes so badly that I might turn around and do it.
Every time someone says, "there are no white supremacist groups in Canada" I would like to be able to consult my notes. Nowhere else have I seen a timeline of events and a list of names and organizations such as this. - A valuable resource.
This book was eye-opening and now that I am three-quarters of the way through, I regret not taking notes so badly that I might turn around and do it.
Every time someone says, "there are no white supremacist groups in Canada" I would like to be able to consult my notes. Nowhere else have I seen a timeline of events and a list of names and organizations such as this. - A valuable resource.
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