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Countering Hate
We all start out the same.
Whether born in Damascus or Detroit, human beings begin life with similar DNA, common instincts for survival and a basic desire to learn and explore.
So why do some young men and women grow up with plans to promote peace and prosperity, while others set out to harm or kill others? Every day, we hear of people who try to disrupt our world, often violently. So what, exactly, is happening to our youth?
Extremists never stop trying to find the next young recruit. They are smarter, more technically savvy and better organized than we give them credit for. What are they doing well, and what can we learn from these insights? Are we organized the right way to fight extremists? Are we thinking the right way? Are we basing decisions on the most effective models?
Pearson and Ullah join as co-authors to provide a mash-up of their combined expertise—years of shaping behavior for the world’s top brands with years of countering terrorism.
Inspired by classes taught at the U.S. State Department on counterterrorism and dealing with disinformation campaigns, the authors have written a book that is part call to action and part innovation lab for those who want to make a difference. They are joined by a wide range of global leaders who provide their insights related to hate and extremism.
The book’s goal is to trigger new ideas on how leaders can partner worldwide to make our world a safer and more productive place over the long-term. One team, one world.
Whether born in Damascus or Detroit, human beings begin life with similar DNA, common instincts for survival and a basic desire to learn and explore.
So why do some young men and women grow up with plans to promote peace and prosperity, while others set out to harm or kill others? Every day, we hear of people who try to disrupt our world, often violently. So what, exactly, is happening to our youth?
Extremists never stop trying to find the next young recruit. They are smarter, more technically savvy and better organized than we give them credit for. What are they doing well, and what can we learn from these insights? Are we organized the right way to fight extremists? Are we thinking the right way? Are we basing decisions on the most effective models?
Pearson and Ullah join as co-authors to provide a mash-up of their combined expertise—years of shaping behavior for the world’s top brands with years of countering terrorism.
Inspired by classes taught at the U.S. State Department on counterterrorism and dealing with disinformation campaigns, the authors have written a book that is part call to action and part innovation lab for those who want to make a difference. They are joined by a wide range of global leaders who provide their insights related to hate and extremism.
The book’s goal is to trigger new ideas on how leaders can partner worldwide to make our world a safer and more productive place over the long-term. One team, one world.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2018
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 21, 2018
I received this as an Early Review copy from LibraryThing. "Countering Hate" looks at how ISIS and other terrorist organizations have utilized social media to their benefit. They use it to publicize their victories and recruit new members. From a marketing standpoint, they are using an organized social media network to distribute and promote their message and they are doing it much better than the "counter terrorism" groups. That said, there have been "wins" on platforms like "Reddit" where counterterrorism messages have drowned out some of the ISIS propaganda.
The goal of Mr. Pearson and Mr. Ullah is a data base of organizations working to counter terrorism, what they are doing, what has worked and what has failed. This book covers many, many social networking sites and how they have been used to propagate the terrorist message and how these same sites could be used to provide diversions to possible terrorists. It is made crystal clear that as individuals and as a group ISIS fighters are utilizing these platforms; however, the Authors focus only on the NGO or group response. Organizing these groups and gathering data will take time. I am left wondering why more isn't being done to educate the individual social media user on countering hatred where they find it. The Authors mention several "research studies" but these are not well footnoted and the one I could find was based on 100 people. That isn't a significant study. Mr. Pearson points out that those who live in fear become more insulated and extreme in our views. Would it not help to give the general public the tools to fight back? Would this not be helpful in preventing the domestic terrorism and hate groups that have become more prevalent in the U.S.?
The author encourages people to become proactive and "connected" but when you try to search for information on the data.world it is set up for organizational use only. Try finding them on Facebook as the Authors encourage you to do.
As an academic text or a "how to" for the State Department on countering terrorism, this book fulfills its goal. However, as a member of the general public, I feel more could have been made of this book to encourage the regular users, some of whom could be the needed "positive influencers" to get involved. Many of the hard core social media users have large followings and could make a beneficial difference in preventing future recruitment by terrorist organizations, but this book won't be the book that explains how to do that.
The goal of Mr. Pearson and Mr. Ullah is a data base of organizations working to counter terrorism, what they are doing, what has worked and what has failed. This book covers many, many social networking sites and how they have been used to propagate the terrorist message and how these same sites could be used to provide diversions to possible terrorists. It is made crystal clear that as individuals and as a group ISIS fighters are utilizing these platforms; however, the Authors focus only on the NGO or group response. Organizing these groups and gathering data will take time. I am left wondering why more isn't being done to educate the individual social media user on countering hatred where they find it. The Authors mention several "research studies" but these are not well footnoted and the one I could find was based on 100 people. That isn't a significant study. Mr. Pearson points out that those who live in fear become more insulated and extreme in our views. Would it not help to give the general public the tools to fight back? Would this not be helpful in preventing the domestic terrorism and hate groups that have become more prevalent in the U.S.?
The author encourages people to become proactive and "connected" but when you try to search for information on the data.world it is set up for organizational use only. Try finding them on Facebook as the Authors encourage you to do.
As an academic text or a "how to" for the State Department on countering terrorism, this book fulfills its goal. However, as a member of the general public, I feel more could have been made of this book to encourage the regular users, some of whom could be the needed "positive influencers" to get involved. Many of the hard core social media users have large followings and could make a beneficial difference in preventing future recruitment by terrorist organizations, but this book won't be the book that explains how to do that.
May 10, 2018
Countering Hate is a book that has a wider potential use than its initial focus.Bob Pearson and Haroon K. Ullah wrote a book that uses the latest research on how people think, how they are radicalized, and how to market to people to create a technocratic approach to countering violent extremism and terrorism. The primary focus is on Islamist extremist groups such as Isis and al-Qaeda.
First, because so many who write about terrorism are just plain awful, let me assure you that Pearson and Ullah are very careful to distinguish between Muslims, Islamists, and extremists. They make the argument that Islamists can be allies to discourage violent extremism, if we would only be willing to talk to them, for example. They are respectful of Islam and aware that there are very real grievances.
The information they provide is useful and sometimes discouraging. So much of the work of anti-racism is done when people reach adulthood, but those ideas and biases form in elementary and high school. They make clear that to be really effective, we must reach people before they are 25.
They write about how people are radicalized and how that can be interrupted and what is most effective. Guess what, shaking your fist and ranting isn’t on the list.
Muslims are the primary victims of ISIS and al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. A good portion of this book is about what can be done in Muslim countries to interrupt radicalization. There’s plenty of myth-busting. It encourages me that someone with as much good sense is in government, though somehow I don’t think many in the Administration will be receptive to anything in this book.
The advice is good. I think much of it can be applied to combatting white nationalism, misogyny, and racism. Seeing what they wrote about how people are radicalized on the internet, you can see the exact process happening with incels.
I think they are too sanguine about potential abuses of power, with surveillance, profiling (particularly when the condemn stereotyping), and censorship. I think that a chapter or two on how these methods could be adapted to opposing white nationalists would make this a better book, but then, maybe not. They may be trying to get those in power to see sense. I wish them luck with that.
@bobpearson1845 Hi, I am about half way through “Countering Hate” which I think has useful information, but find myself questioning the singular focus on Islamist extremism. There’s many violent extremist movements. Wouldn’t a more universal approach be more effective?
— Tonstant Weader (@TonstantWeader1) May 3, 2018
Yes you are right. It does apply to all. We focused on one type to be consistent on how we wrote.
— Bob Pearson (@bobpearson1845) May 3, 2018
I received a copy of Countering Hate from a LibraryThing drawing for early reviewers.
Countering Hate at W₂0 Group
Bob Pearson at W₂0 Group
Haroon K. Ullah at Broadcasting Board of Governors and author site.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
First, because so many who write about terrorism are just plain awful, let me assure you that Pearson and Ullah are very careful to distinguish between Muslims, Islamists, and extremists. They make the argument that Islamists can be allies to discourage violent extremism, if we would only be willing to talk to them, for example. They are respectful of Islam and aware that there are very real grievances.
The information they provide is useful and sometimes discouraging. So much of the work of anti-racism is done when people reach adulthood, but those ideas and biases form in elementary and high school. They make clear that to be really effective, we must reach people before they are 25.
They write about how people are radicalized and how that can be interrupted and what is most effective. Guess what, shaking your fist and ranting isn’t on the list.
Muslims are the primary victims of ISIS and al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. A good portion of this book is about what can be done in Muslim countries to interrupt radicalization. There’s plenty of myth-busting. It encourages me that someone with as much good sense is in government, though somehow I don’t think many in the Administration will be receptive to anything in this book.
The advice is good. I think much of it can be applied to combatting white nationalism, misogyny, and racism. Seeing what they wrote about how people are radicalized on the internet, you can see the exact process happening with incels.
I think they are too sanguine about potential abuses of power, with surveillance, profiling (particularly when the condemn stereotyping), and censorship. I think that a chapter or two on how these methods could be adapted to opposing white nationalists would make this a better book, but then, maybe not. They may be trying to get those in power to see sense. I wish them luck with that.
@bobpearson1845 Hi, I am about half way through “Countering Hate” which I think has useful information, but find myself questioning the singular focus on Islamist extremism. There’s many violent extremist movements. Wouldn’t a more universal approach be more effective?
— Tonstant Weader (@TonstantWeader1) May 3, 2018
Yes you are right. It does apply to all. We focused on one type to be consistent on how we wrote.
— Bob Pearson (@bobpearson1845) May 3, 2018
I received a copy of Countering Hate from a LibraryThing drawing for early reviewers.
Countering Hate at W₂0 Group
Bob Pearson at W₂0 Group
Haroon K. Ullah at Broadcasting Board of Governors and author site.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
May 26, 2018
As humans, we’re all born the same, yet some people grow up to lead peaceful, productive lives, while others turn to destructive, often murderous pursuits. The question: why and how does this happen?
In Countering Hate, Bob Pearson and Haroon K. Ullah look at how people learn to hate and offer some prescriptions on countering this development. They show how, through silence and apathy, society contributes to this process of looking at other people negatively through the lenses of gender, race, or religion, a process that develops during the formative years up to the age of about 25, and how the use of soft-power tools by governments rather than reliance on military responses is the best approach to dealing with the phenomenon.
Rather than doing what many people do, which is, wonder briefly why they hate us, and then turning back to the local sports broadcast, the authors suggest that every citizen, but, most importantly, government officials, must take a proactive approach to countering hate and extremism.
If you’re a government official, this is a must-read. Heck, if you’re just a common citizen who wants to be better equipped to understand and deal with these issues in your own community, it’s also a must-read.
I received a free copy of this book. I give it five stars.
In Countering Hate, Bob Pearson and Haroon K. Ullah look at how people learn to hate and offer some prescriptions on countering this development. They show how, through silence and apathy, society contributes to this process of looking at other people negatively through the lenses of gender, race, or religion, a process that develops during the formative years up to the age of about 25, and how the use of soft-power tools by governments rather than reliance on military responses is the best approach to dealing with the phenomenon.
Rather than doing what many people do, which is, wonder briefly why they hate us, and then turning back to the local sports broadcast, the authors suggest that every citizen, but, most importantly, government officials, must take a proactive approach to countering hate and extremism.
If you’re a government official, this is a must-read. Heck, if you’re just a common citizen who wants to be better equipped to understand and deal with these issues in your own community, it’s also a must-read.
I received a free copy of this book. I give it five stars.
June 21, 2018
DNF @ 178. No value relative to time invested. Nothing useful. Too many sidetracks and too much beating around the bush and hand waving. Guess somebody just wanted to get their name in print.
January 7, 2022
Interesting take on how terrorism is formed and cultivated.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews