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The Racist Mind: Portraits of American Neo-Nazis and Klansmen Paperback – January 1, 1995

by Raphael S. EZEKIEL (Author)

4.3 23 ratings

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The author offers his first-hand accounts of rallies and meetings of white supremacists across the United States, interviews white militants and neo-Nazis, and reveals the self-centered motives behind the hate-mongering.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B073LDTNYN
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking; Uncorrected Proof edition (January 1, 1995)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds

Customer Reviews:
4.3 23 ratings

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Raphael S. Ezekiel

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4.3 out of 5

23 global ratings

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Joseph Thomas

A powerful look into the mind of American racists.

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

This was an educational read. It helped look into the disturbed mind of a racist and see how they think and why they hate people who are different. I applaud Raphael for being able to write this book. And to sit there while these people talked trash. Great journalism and insight. A must read if you are trying to understand the reason so many American's have this thought process.

6 people found this helpful

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Lloyd Addison

Mind wasted

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2015

Verified Purchase

It is great, and really gives inside looks into these organizations, and helps one to understand their dynamics, and the people whom they attract.

4 people found this helpful

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Robert H. Allen

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

For school.

2 people found this helpful

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Nancy C.

Rafe was one of the best teachers I've ever had

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2017

I was in Rafe's Psychology class as a student at the University of Michigan when he was writing this book. I remember him talking about it often. Rafe was one of the best teachers I've ever had, and his wisdom grows with me three decades later. While in college, I never thought we would still be dealing with Nazis in the 21st century, but his book becomes even more relevant with every passing year. To Rafe -- if you read this -- thank you, on behalf of this student, and all of your students. Thank you for your courage, and your intellectual generosity. Go Blue!

5 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Read it and weep, but also learn.

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2017

Dr. Ezekiel, a Jewish professor from the University of Michigan, spent years attending White Power rallies and interviewing neo-Nazi and KKK foot soldiers and leaders. The story of rootless young men drawn to violent right-wing ideologies and the leaders who use these lost young men for their own purposes. With the news from Charlottesville and Charleston, etc., etc., this amazing prescient book is as pertinent now as the day it was written. Read it and weep, but also to learn.

4 people found this helpful

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Todd Blodgett

AN EYE-OPENER, WELL WORTH YOUR TIME -

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012

Professor Ezekiel has written an extremely informative and objective, book. 'The Racist Mind' gets right at the heart of what makes such hateful individuals tick. From the dysfunctional families most racists come from, to their view of themselves as being "left out" of the loop, and how many are marginalized by today's society - which they unfairly, and consistently, blame on those they detest. Having dealt directly with 'Reverend' Richard Butler, and Tom Metzger in my capacity as a full-time, paid FBI informant, infiltrating/surveiling white supremacists, holocaust deniers, and professional racists, violent Skinheads, etc., I can state unequivocally that Raphael Ezekiel's book hits the nail straight on the head. It's as truthful as it is sobering, and it offers valuable insights for straightening these problems out before more innocent people are harmed. I highly recommend this work to anyone who seeks bona fide information about the world of American and European hatred.

10 people found this helpful

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Cwn_Annwn

The Racist Mind

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2010

I constantly run across books like these written by Jewish egghead academics who interview and/or hang out with "extremists" here and there for a year or so and then write a book about it. There are very few that aren't written with a huge bias and I believe that a certain percentage are written as propaganda to build these people into strawmen in order to raise funds for groups like the SPLC and ADL.

In The Racist Minds intro he says he is going to portray the subjects of this book in a fair, realistic, human way but right off the bat in the profiles of various leadership figures he goes out of his way to mock things the interview subjects say in a smart alecky juvenile way after the fact, not engaging them face to face. In the profiles of the rank and file member types he portrays them as being overly pathetic losers, psychoanalyzing them in a typically weird Jewish way. In all fairness to the author though just letting 85% of the people he profiles in this book speak for themselves would be enough to make them come off as idiots and losers. But overall as pathetic as some of the people in this book are the guy who put it together is worse.

5 people found this helpful

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King of New England

Too Subjective

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2007

When I first picked up this book, I was hoping for more of an objective look, via interviews, at what kind of person the far-right "white power" movement attracts, and also why they are attracted to the movement. Unfortunately, while Ezekiel does provide some of that insight, it is too often tainted by his own opinions. He goes to great lengths to disparage these people and the movement. While I don't condone the movement at all, I was hoping for more of an objective look at it.

Various techniques used by Ezekiel include responding to the arguments and comments of the interviewee within the context of the book. For instance, they will make some remark about Jews always feeling sorry for themselves. Rather than respond in the interview, Ezekiel will add his rebuttal into the book itself, after the interview, thereby denying the chance for the person to respond. Also, using the same example, Ezekiel will criticize a member for their stereotypical remarks, and then include a line in the book to the effect of, "I don't think Jews feel sorry for themselves. I think we actually are very empathetic." In both his use of the word, "we", and attributing empathy to all Jewish people, he is doing exactly what the interviewee did---namely, attributing one characteristic to an entire group of people. But because it's a compliment and Ezekiel is Jewish, he feels that it's alright that he speak for an entire people.

I felt some of the book was worthwhile, especially his look at the background of the people that he interviewed, allowing for a better look at what may be the draw for these people to the movement. But due to the various flaws I mentioned above, I don't feel that the book wasn't so much a portrait of the racist mind, but a subjective look at people who I couldn't help but feel Ezekiel set up in order to arrive at his preconceived notions.

14 people found this helpful

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