If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered what specific sequence of life events can transform an ordinary child into a cold-blooded domestic terrorist?
- Did you know that a series of critical lapses in police work allowed Norway’s deadliest day to unfold for much longer than it should have?
- Are you curious about the twisted logic and meticulous planning behind one of the most senseless acts of violence in modern history?
Listen to One of Us — Free Audiobook
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Key Takeaways from One of Us
- Understand how Breivik's severely unstable childhood, marked by his mother's psychological dysfunction, set the early stage for his troubled development.
- Discover how Breivik’s lack of empathy and spiteful behavior during his teenage years alienated his peers and turned him into a complete social outsider.
- Explore how a failure to secure a city council nomination in a conservative political party caused Breivik to abandon traditional political avenues.
- Learn how a retreat into full-time online gaming and deep immersion in far-right, Islamophobic websites catalyzed his violent radicalization.
- Examine the twisted ideology behind Breivik's 1,518-page manifesto, which argued that a perceived decline in traditional European values necessitated a horrific terrorist attack.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from One of Us
Mind Map
One of Us
Early Life & Social Rejection
Family Dysfunction
Graffiti Scene
Political Failure
Online Radicalization
Gaming Isolation
Far-Right Immersion
The Manifesto (2083)
Core Grievances
Desired Society
Terrorism Manual
Preparation & Attacks
Logistics
Oslo Bombing
Utøya Massacre
Systemic Police Failures
Communication Breakdown
Tactical Errors
Trial & Verdict
Courtroom Theatrics
Psychiatric Evaluation
Final Sentence
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 9
Why did psychologists recommend that four-year-old Breivik be removed from his family's care?
One of Us — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Breivik’s childhood was unstable.
Chapter 3: Breivik’s provocative conduct made him a social outcast during his school years.
Chapter 4: Breivik was active in Norway’s conservative party, but failed to make it to the front ranks politically.
Chapter 5: Breivik spent five years gaming online and browsing the web, and developed far-right political beliefs.
Chapter 6: Breivik’s manifesto asserts that the decline of values in Europe necessitates a terrorist attack.
Chapter 7: To prepare the attack, Breivik joined a gun club and spent months on a farm abroad, there building a bomb using online instructions.
Chapter 8: Breivik reached the island of Utøya undetected due to communication failures within Norway’s police force.
Chapter 9: A string of major police errors gave Breivik 75 minutes alone on Utøya, where he killed 69 people in total.
Chapter 10: Breivik displayed no remorse at trial, using it instead as a stage to present his radical ideas publicly.
Chapter 11: Although Breivik’s sanity was debated, he was ultimately deemed legally responsible for his actions.
One of Us Summary & Overview
One of Us (2015) tells the story of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian terrorist who killed 77 people on July 22, 2011. Beginning with Breivik’s personal life and detailing the development of his extremist political views and his planning of the massacre, these blinks give you an unflinching look into the mind of the man who carried out this devastating and senseless attack.
Who Should Listen to One of Us?
- Those curious about the most tragic day in recent Norwegian history
- People hoping to gain insight into the mind of a terrorist
- Anyone interested in how dangerous poor police work can be
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