Naomi Klein, a Canadian author known for her social activism and her political analyses, has the misfortune to be mistaken for and confused with Naomi Wolf, a one time feminist turned conspiracy theorist. She has used this as a spur to explore the world Wolf inhabits and to consider why her doppelgänger might have made the choices she has. This is such an incredibly important book. It is all too easy to ignore the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists, to remove them from our social media, cheer when they are deplatformed, and disengage from them in real life. Yet this leaves us with no real idea of what they are thinking, saying, planning and doing which makes us potentially vulnerable. And this loose grouping of at times strange bedmates does have some valid fears and concerns, even if they are not immediately obvious. A book like this is invaluable in bringing this “shadow world” into the light. I was impressed by the scope of this book, and by the way Klein blended introspective personal reflections with logical intellectual analysis. I appreciated the way she highlighted issues within mainstream society such as capitalist greed and corruption and the way these have contributed to the rise of conspiracy theorists. The book does have an American focus, but the issues Klein explores are not only relevant to but essential for democracies everywhere. Doppelgänger is a very worthy inclusion on the shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. 

I don’t even know where to start. So many WOW moments for me (I don’t consider the following spoilers, but in case you might, feel free to stop reading here):

1. I had no idea the battle of the Naomis even existed. I was shocked to read about how far down the rabbit hole Naomi Wolf had fallen into, especially because I loved her book The Beauty Myth.
2. I was also shocked to read that Christiane Northrup had sold out. I used to respect these two women so much!
3. I was surprised that Canada wasn’t as free from extreme rightist politics as I thought.
4. I was puzzled as to why Naomi Klein, Naomi Wolf, and Naomi Campbell would be confused. They are so very different women, and even if it’s an aggressive autocorrect, the first letters of their last names aren’t even anywhere close to each other on the keyboard!!

I laughed, even guffawed at parts. I blurt out “EW!” over and over. I applauded. I gasped. I scratched my head. This book had it all. And while I’m both sorry that Naomi Wolf’s mind and body has been kidnapped and replaced by an alien and that Naomi Klein has had to suffer for it, I’m glad it led to this book. And yeah, it was worth staying up all night to finish the book.

A very timely read. I certainly disagree with some smaller points in the book - Klein suggests vaccine mandates became less important when we realized people were still getting the virus, which I firmly disagree with - but on the whole it's an important premise. The premise of understanding "Other Naomi" opens up a much deeper conversation on oppression, colonialism, the attention economy and conspiracy theories. 

Have you been feeling that in the last few years things are slightly off with the world? Public violence seems to be increasing, & people have little time, care, or respect for others. Online, the slightest disagreement results in pile-ons, doxxing, & calls for people to lose their jobs. I know that I sometimes look around & wonder what the hell is going on. There's a feeling that we have truly stepped through the looking glass. Naomi Klein calls this the Shadow or Mirror world, which leads her onto Doppelganger culture: the world of the Shadow selves.

Klein, author of books such as 'No Logo' & 'Shock Doctrine' has over the last few years been continually confused with another writer of a similar name but who holds the opposite viewpoints in many things. It's all a bit tenuous - I can imagine it is frustrating to have people keep attributing her words to you, but a doppelganger? Not sure. There were some very interesting sections, one being the modern 'branding' of the self as a selling point which is fuelling this reluctance to be seen even considering other viewpoints lest they spoil our 'brand' (the polarised debate over face mask wearing during Covid is one topic covered). Another being the argument that the ideas synonymous with Nazi Germany did not spring from nowhere but were influenced both by the expansionist policies of contemporary Europe & the eugenics & segregation polices of the US.

Overall though it jumps about from topic to topic (including racism, xenophobia, the Holocaust, communism, climate change, Covid, & facism) & it was difficult at times to stay on track whilst reading. My mind started to wander at times. There were some things I agreed with but others I was not altogether convinced. It's my least favourite of her books that I've read for sure. There were several mentions of films & books which deal with doppelgangers, most of which I noted down for later reading/watching. 

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Press UK/Allen Lane, for the opportunity to read an ARC.  I am voluntarily giving an honest review.