
Red Pill, Blue Pill
How to Counteract the Conspiracy Theories That Are Killing Us
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $21.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Matthew Josdal
-
By:
-
David Neiwert
About this listen
Conspiracy theories are killing us. Once confined to the fringes of society, this worldview now has adherents numbering in the millions - extending right into the White House. This disturbing look at this alt-right threat to our democratic institutions offers guidance for counteracting the personal toll this destructive mindset can have on relationships and families.
Author David Neiwert - an investigative journalist who has studied the radical right for decades - examines the growing appeal of conspiracy theories and the kind of personalities that are attracted to such paranoid, sociopathic messages. He explains how alt-right leaders are able to get such firm holds on the imaginations of their followers and chronicles the destruction caused by the movement's most virulent believers.
Colloquially, this recruitment to alt-right ideologies is called "getting red-pilled" - a metaphor for when believers of conspiracy theories become convinced that their alternate universe is real. Uniquely, and optimistically, Neiwert provides a "blue pill toolkit" for those who are dealing with conspiracy theorists in their own lives, including strategies drawn from people who counsel former far-right extremists who have renounced their former beliefs.
©2020 David Neiwert (P)2020 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Storm Is upon Us
- How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything
- By: Mike Rothschild
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Its messaging can seem cryptic, even nonsensical, yet for tens of thousands of people, it explains everything: What is QAnon, where did it come from, and is the Capitol insurgency a sign of where it’s going next? Mike Rothschild, a journalist specializing in conspiracy theories, has been collecting their stories for years, and through interviews with QAnon converts, apostates, and victims, as well as psychologists, sociologists, and academics, he is uniquely equipped to explain the movement and its followers.
-
-
Great book, lousy narrator
- By Denise Lavely on 06-22-21
By: Mike Rothschild
-
Alt-America
- The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump
- By: David Neiwert
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just as Donald Trump's victorious campaign for the US presidency shocked the world, the seemingly sudden national prominence of white supremacists, xenophobes, militia leaders, and mysterious "alt-right" figures mystifies many. But the American extreme right has been growing steadily in number and influence since the 1990s with the rise of patriot militias. Following 9/11, conspiracy theorists found fresh life; and in virulent reaction to the first black US president, militant racists have come out of the woodwork.
-
-
amazing. I want to recommend it to everyone.
- By Charlie Dubou on 05-13-18
By: David Neiwert
-
American Psychosis
- A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy
- By: David Corn
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fast-paced, rollicking, behind-the-scenes account of how the GOP since the 1950s has encouraged and exploited extremism, bigotry, and paranoia to gain power, American Psychosis offers listeners a brisk, can-you-believe-it journey through the netherworld of far-right irrationality and the Republican Party’s interactions with the darkest forces in America.
-
-
Important history poorly read
- By A. Hawley on 09-16-22
By: David Corn
-
Culture Warlords
- My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy
- By: Talia Lavin
- Narrated by: Talia Lavin
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One reporter takes an immersive dive into white supremacy's explosive online presence, exploring the undercurrents of propaganda, racism, misogyny, and history that led us to where we are now. Shocking, humorous, and merciless in equal measure, Culture Warlords explores some of the vilest subcultures on the web - and shows us how we can fight back.
-
-
I took this book too personally.
- By Will on 10-22-20
By: Talia Lavin
-
They Want to Kill Americans
- The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency
- By: Malcolm Nance
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They Want to Kill Americans is the first detailed look into the heart of the active Trump-led insurgency, setting the stage for a second nation-wide rebellion on American soil. This is a chilling and deeply researched early warning to the nation from a counterterrorism intelligence professional: America is primed for a possible explosive wave of terrorist attacks and armed confrontations that aim to bring about a Donald Trump led dictatorship.
-
-
It's informative and frightening
- By Amazon Customer on 07-17-22
By: Malcolm Nance
-
Unwoke
- How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America
- By: Ted Cruz
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a book both articulate and desperately needed, bestselling author Senator Ted Cruz provides a long overdue argument against the woke takeover of education, big business, the media, and Hollywood.
-
-
This is one of top listens
- By chas on 12-12-23
By: Ted Cruz
-
The Storm Is upon Us
- How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything
- By: Mike Rothschild
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Its messaging can seem cryptic, even nonsensical, yet for tens of thousands of people, it explains everything: What is QAnon, where did it come from, and is the Capitol insurgency a sign of where it’s going next? Mike Rothschild, a journalist specializing in conspiracy theories, has been collecting their stories for years, and through interviews with QAnon converts, apostates, and victims, as well as psychologists, sociologists, and academics, he is uniquely equipped to explain the movement and its followers.
-
-
Great book, lousy narrator
- By Denise Lavely on 06-22-21
By: Mike Rothschild
-
Alt-America
- The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump
- By: David Neiwert
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just as Donald Trump's victorious campaign for the US presidency shocked the world, the seemingly sudden national prominence of white supremacists, xenophobes, militia leaders, and mysterious "alt-right" figures mystifies many. But the American extreme right has been growing steadily in number and influence since the 1990s with the rise of patriot militias. Following 9/11, conspiracy theorists found fresh life; and in virulent reaction to the first black US president, militant racists have come out of the woodwork.
-
-
amazing. I want to recommend it to everyone.
- By Charlie Dubou on 05-13-18
By: David Neiwert
-
American Psychosis
- A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy
- By: David Corn
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fast-paced, rollicking, behind-the-scenes account of how the GOP since the 1950s has encouraged and exploited extremism, bigotry, and paranoia to gain power, American Psychosis offers listeners a brisk, can-you-believe-it journey through the netherworld of far-right irrationality and the Republican Party’s interactions with the darkest forces in America.
-
-
Important history poorly read
- By A. Hawley on 09-16-22
By: David Corn
-
Culture Warlords
- My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy
- By: Talia Lavin
- Narrated by: Talia Lavin
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One reporter takes an immersive dive into white supremacy's explosive online presence, exploring the undercurrents of propaganda, racism, misogyny, and history that led us to where we are now. Shocking, humorous, and merciless in equal measure, Culture Warlords explores some of the vilest subcultures on the web - and shows us how we can fight back.
-
-
I took this book too personally.
- By Will on 10-22-20
By: Talia Lavin
-
They Want to Kill Americans
- The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency
- By: Malcolm Nance
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They Want to Kill Americans is the first detailed look into the heart of the active Trump-led insurgency, setting the stage for a second nation-wide rebellion on American soil. This is a chilling and deeply researched early warning to the nation from a counterterrorism intelligence professional: America is primed for a possible explosive wave of terrorist attacks and armed confrontations that aim to bring about a Donald Trump led dictatorship.
-
-
It's informative and frightening
- By Amazon Customer on 07-17-22
By: Malcolm Nance
-
Unwoke
- How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America
- By: Ted Cruz
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a book both articulate and desperately needed, bestselling author Senator Ted Cruz provides a long overdue argument against the woke takeover of education, big business, the media, and Hollywood.
-
-
This is one of top listens
- By chas on 12-12-23
By: Ted Cruz
-
The Cruelty Is the Point
- The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America
- By: Adam Serwer
- Narrated by: Adam Serwer
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To many, our most shocking political crises appear unprecedented—un-American, even. But they are not, writes The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer in this prescient essay collection, which dissects the most devastating moments in recent memory to reveal deeply entrenched dynamics, patterns as old as the country itself. The January 6 insurrection, anti-immigrant sentiment, and American authoritarianism all have historic roots that explain their continued power with or without President Donald Trump—a fact borne out by what has happened since his departure from the White House.
-
-
excellent thoughtful writing, rare these days
- By Mike on 06-30-21
By: Adam Serwer
-
We Are Proud Boys
- How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism
- By: Andy B. Campbell
- Narrated by: Stacy Carolan
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the 2016 election, Americans witnessed a frightening trend: the rise of a host of new extremist groups across the country. Emboldened by a new president, they flooded political rallies and built fervent online presences, expanding rapidly until they were a regular sight at everyday demonstrations. Amid the chaos, one group emerged as a leader among the others, with matching outfits, bizarre rituals, and a reputation for violence: the Proud Boys. We Are Proud Boys is the definitive narrative exploration of this notorious street gang and all the far-right movements they’re connected to.
-
-
Depressing, But Important
- By TM on 10-17-22
By: Andy B. Campbell
-
Doppelganger
- A Trip into the Mirror World
- By: Naomi Klein
- Narrated by: Naomi Klein
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if you woke up one morning and found you’d acquired another self—a double who was almost you and yet not you at all? What if that double shared many of your preoccupations but, in a twisted, upside-down way, furthered the very causes you’d devoted your life to fighting against? Not long ago, the celebrated activist and public intellectual Naomi Klein had just such an experience—she was confronted with a doppelganger whose views she found abhorrent but whose name and public persona were sufficiently similar to her own that many people got confused about who was who.
-
-
Elite Psychobabble
- By A Reviewer on 09-30-23
By: Naomi Klein
-
Trust the Plan
- The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America
- By: Will Sommer
- Narrated by: Joe Knezevich
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive book on QAnon from the reporter knows them best; Will Sommer explains what it is, how it has gained a mainstream following among Republican lawmakers and ordinary citizens, the threat it poses to democracy, and how we can reach those who have embraced the conspiracy and are disseminating its lies.
-
-
The best one so far
- By joey carbo on 03-02-23
By: Will Sommer
-
Why We Did It
- A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell
- By: Tim Miller
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As one of the strategists behind the famous 2012 RNC “autopsy,” Miller conducts his own forensic study on the pungent carcass of the party he used to love, cutting into all the hubris, ambition, idiocy, desperation, and self-deception for everyone to see. In a bracingly honest reflection on both his own past work for the Republican Party and the contortions of his former peers in the GOP establishment, Miller draws a straight line between the actions of the 2000s GOP to the Republican political class's Trumpian takeover, including the horrors of January 6th.
-
-
No, Tim!
- By Lori Renard on 06-30-22
By: Tim Miller
-
Bring the War Home
- The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America
- By: Kathleen Belew
- Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The white power movement in America wants a revolution. It has declared all-out war against the federal government and its agents, and has carried out - with military precision - an escalating campaign of terror against the American public. In Bring the War Home, Kathleen Belew gives us the first full history of the movement that consolidated in the 1970s and 1980s around a potent sense of betrayal in the Vietnam War and made tragic headlines in the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building.
-
-
The reader sounds like a robot
- By C. Fox on 05-12-19
By: Kathleen Belew
-
Cultish
- The Language of Fanaticism
- By: Amanda Montell
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join - and more importantly, stay in - extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has.
-
-
Get this book ASAP
- By chris boutte on 06-17-21
By: Amanda Montell
-
The Undertow
- Scenes from a Slow Civil War
- By: Jeff Sharlet
- Narrated by: Jeff Sharlet
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An unmatched guide to the religious dimensions of American politics, Jeff Sharlet journeys into corners of our national psyche where others fear to tread. The Undertow is both inquiry and meditation, an attempt to understand how, over the last decade, reaction has morphed into delusion, social division into distrust, distrust into paranoia, and hatred into fantasies—sometimes realities—of violence.
-
-
I'm just not feeling this one....
- By J. Richmond on 08-04-23
By: Jeff Sharlet
-
Republic of Lies
- American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power
- By: Anna Merlan
- Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar, Anna Merlan - introduction
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American society has always been fertile ground for conspiracy theories, but with the election of Donald Trump, previously outlandish ideas suddenly attained legitimacy. Trump himself is a conspiracy enthusiast: from his claim that global warming is a Chinese hoax to the accusations of “fake news”, he has fanned the flames of suspicion. But it was not by the power of one man alone that these ideas gained new power. Republic of Lies looks beyond the caricatures of conspiracy theorists to explain their tenacity.
-
-
even-handed and thought-provoking
- By Lenny Pozner on 04-17-19
By: Anna Merlan
-
Talking to Strangers
- What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did Fidel Castro fool the CIA for a generation? Why did Neville Chamberlain think he could trust Adolf Hitler? Why are campus sexual assaults on the rise? Do television sitcoms teach us something about the way we relate to each other that isn't true? While tackling these questions, Malcolm Gladwell was not solely writing a book for the page. He was also producing for the ear. In the audiobook version of Talking to Strangers, you’ll hear the voices of people he interviewed - scientists, criminologists, military psychologists.
-
-
Enjoyable listen with some facts incorrect
- By Jim on 09-11-19
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
Insurgency
- How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted
- By: Jeremy W. Peters
- Narrated by: Jeremy W. Peters
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An epic narrative chronicling the fracturing of the Republican Party, Jeremy Peters’s Insurgency is the story of a party establishment that believed it could control the dark energy it helped foment—right up until it suddenly couldn’t. How, Peters asks, did conservative values that Republicans claimed to cherish, like small government, fiscal responsibility, and morality in public service, get completely eroded as an unshakable faith in Donald Trump grew to define the party?
-
-
Insurgency
- By Linda Blake on 02-18-22
By: Jeremy W. Peters
-
Antisocial
- Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation
- By: Andrew Marantz
- Narrated by: Andrew Marantz
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From a rising star at The New Yorker, a deeply immersive chronicle of how the optimistic entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley set out to create a free and democratic internet - and how the cynical propagandists of the alt-right exploited that freedom to propel the extreme into the mainstream.
-
-
Amazing read!!!
- By Nick H on 10-23-19
By: Andrew Marantz
What listeners say about Red Pill, Blue Pill
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alec Foy
- 10-09-20
Have a conspiracy nut in your life?
Neiwert does a great job not only explaining the possible harm of conspiracy thinking, but also provides an antidote. Important read for every American in 2020, especially for those of us who have relationships with conspiracy nuts.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jennifer
- 01-27-21
Great mix of examples and analysis
Perfect introduction for those of us trying to understand and cope with friends, family and neighbors who have entered the rabbit hole of conspiracy theory. Well grounded in realistic expectations for successful interactions. I particularly appreciate the mix of historical context, research and modern considerations that lead to concrete steps.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zak
- 02-25-21
A Good Resource If Your Uncle Has You Worried
I've seen some other books delve more deeply into these topics, but if you want to understand the origins of the modern wave of conspiracy theory, and also how to best broach the topic with a troubled family member or friend, this is the book for you.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 01-12-23
Why do groups like QAnon believe such wacky things?
The author gives a great overview of conspiracy theories, what they are, and how our society should go about reducing the harm they cause. A look at the psychological and social aspects of conspiracy theories. In our contemporary world, full of “fake news” this is a must read. Why do people follow groups like Qanon? Find out!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. A. Rigney
- 12-14-20
Robotic
While the book was highly informative I was put off by the narrator? Was it a narrator or was it actually one of those robotic programs that read it? Because I heard barely a tone of humanity in the voice. That almost ruined it. It’s very hard to get into with that computer sounding voice. I should’ve listened to other reviewer‘s that said this, but I was so interested in the subject. no offense because I know it really is a human but not the perfect choice for a narration
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daniel Brisson
- 02-17-21
Poor narration
The book itself is great, but the narrator's cadence throws off the flow and is distracting.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zvi Pardes
- 11-19-20
A deep analytical view of conspiracism.
Loved this book. It's even better than Alt-America (which was great). It's a deep analytical dive into the changing sociological and technological dynamics of conspiracy theories. Crucially, it articulates the relationship between conspiracism, terrorism, and authoritarian developments in the heart of democracies today. the narrator's deadpan reading of Neiwert was also pleasurable.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 09-29-21
Fascinating as well as practical
The author did great research and stuck to the through-line beautifully. The narration was okay, but emphasis was frequently put on the wrong word, pauses were in the wrong place, and it was hard to differentiate between the author and people who were being quoted. Narrator didn't seem to grasp what he was reading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DId you know?
- 08-10-23
Perfect for the ignorant masses.
And chances are you reading this are as well.
If you are, your probably going to like this… ok, piece of work.
I did not care for it. But only cause I seek truth, and therefore care little about what most people believe.
Naturally, most watch the news, let alone they watch tv, believe that the more people that believe a thing, more true it must be.
if you are one of those folks, this piece of work you will love just as it will do you a disservice.
If you do not watch tv,(congratulations) and know the news/media controlled ultimately by those that make up the vanguard group, know the federal reserve is not an American entity(why would they not mention that is school?). And you know global warming is a instrument of the controlling powers. And finally, the masses are suckers.
You now know getting this Schmitty book is a complete waste of time & money.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
- Joshua
- 01-25-22
Poor Narration
I couldn't get past the prologue. The cadence of the narrator was too repetitive and off-putting.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful