Men Who Hate Women

A groundbreaking book that pulls back the curtain on the terrorist movement no one is talking about

Women's rights activist Laura Bates has been the target of many misogynistic attacks online: from hate-fueled Twitter rants to vivid descriptions of her own rape and even death threats. At first, the vitriol seemed to be the work of a small handful of individual men... but over time, the volume and consistency of the attacks hinted at something bigger and more ominous. As Bates followed the thread of online misogyny farther into the corners of the internet, the spiral of hateful and toxic rhetoric deepened until she found an unseen, organized movement of thousands of anonymous men wishing violence (and worse) upon women—the terrorism no one is talking about. Men Who Hate Women examines the rise of secretive extremist communities who despise women as Bates traces the roots of misogyny across a complex spider web of groups extending from Men's Rights Activists to trolls and the incel movement.

Drawing parallels to other extremist movements around the world, including white nationalism, Bates shows what attracts men to the movement, how it grooms and radicalizes boys, how it operates, and what can be done to stop it. Most urgently of all, she follows the pathways this extreme ideology has taken from the darkest corners of the internet to emerge covertly in our mainstream media, our playgrounds, and our government. Going undercover on and offline, Bates provides the first comprehensive look at this under-the-radar phenomenon, including eye-opening interviews with former members of these communities, the academics studying this movement, and the men fighting back.

By turns fascinating and horrifying, Men Who Hate Women is a broad, unflinching account of the deep current of loathing toward women and anti-feminism that underpins our society and is a must-read for parents, educators, and anyone who believes in equality for women.