Book · 1992 · Germany
Ordinary Men
Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning has been mentioned in 11 episodes across 7 podcasts (7 episodes recommend it and 4 episodes discuss it), through . Most frequently brought up by Jordan Peterson (4 episodes), Tim Pool (1 episode) and Joe Kassabian (1 episode) on Timcast IRL (3 episodes), Behind the Bastards (2 episodes) and The Joe Rogan Experience (2 episodes).
- episodes
- 11
- podcasts
- 7
- people
- 6
- episodes recommend it
- 7
Read ordinary men a book of how a book of how normal men become cold-blooded murderers in Poland during World War II don't think you would never do horrible things instead think what it would take for you to do horrible things.
Questions about Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning
Who recommends Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning on podcasts?
Jordan Peterson (4 episodes) and Tim Pool (1 episode) have recommended Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning on podcasts. In all, 6 people brought it up across 7 podcasts (2 people recommended it).
Which podcasts mention Ordinary Men the most?
Timcast IRL (3 episodes), Behind the Bastards (2 episodes), The Joe Rogan Experience (2 episodes), Lex Fridman Podcast (1 episode) and The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett (1 episode), among 7 podcasts in all.
Is Ordinary Men recommended, or only discussed?
Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning was recommended in 7 episodes and discussed without a recommendation in 4 episodes, as of 2025-10-14.
What do people say about Ordinary Men?
Mentioned on Timcast IRL (2021-09-14): "Read ordinary men a book of how a book of how normal men become cold-blooded murderers in Poland during World War II don't think you would never do horrible things instead think what it would take for you to do horrible things."
When was Ordinary Men last mentioned on a podcast?
Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning was last discussed on Lex Fridman Podcast by Lex Fridman on 2025-10-14.
What they say about it
- Details German police battalion in Poland“details how a battalion of German police officers”3
The best things said about it
There's a book called Ordinary Men that details how a battalion of German police officers were turned into the murderers of naked pregnant women in Poland.
Jordan Peterson The Shawn Ryan Show · May 2024 There's also a great book called Ordinary men this is well worth reading although it's a bloody catastrophe to read I'll tell you it details out how a group of German policemen who were moved to Poland during World War II were transformed from ordinary middle class working class or sorry ordinary working class men.
Jordan Peterson The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Jul 2023 There's a great book about that, it's terrifying book called Ordinary Men. And it's about the initiation of a police battalion from Germany who went to Poland after the Germans marched into Poland.
Jordan Peterson The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · Nov 2023 The book does a remarkable job of detailing how your movement from normalcy to absolute perversity is a consequence of ten thousand micro violations of your conscience.
Jordan Peterson The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Jul 2023 Where and when it comes up
How it comes up
6 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning is a historical study examining Reserve Police Battalion 101, a unit of ordinary German middle-aged men who perpetrated mass killings of Jews in Poland during the Holocaust. The book is frequently discussed across several podcasts to illustrate how ordinary individuals can be led down a path of tyranny and atrocities through incremental steps. Jordan Peterson recommended the work on multiple shows, including The Joe Rogan Experience, The Shawn Ryan Show, The Diary Of A CEO, and his own podcast, describing it as a terrifying and sobering catastrophe of a read that details the dark side of human nature. Tim Pool and his guests on Timcast IRL similarly referenced the book in user comments and discussions to argue that ordinary people are capable of committing terrible acts under specific social conditions. Additionally, Lex Fridman mentioned the book while discussing a documentary exploring criminal psychology and execution squads in Eastern Europe, reinforcing its status as a vital text on the social mechanics of evil.
Every mention
Jordan Peterson so there's a book called Ordinary man that details how a battalion of German police officers were turned in… 4
“so there's a book called Ordinary man that details how a battalion of German police officers were turned into the murderers of naked pregnant women in Poland”
“There's a great book about that, it's terrifying book called Ordinary Men. And it's about the initiation of a police battalion from Germany who went to Poland after the Germans marched into Poland.”
“there's also a great book called Ordinary men this is well worth reading although it's a bloody catastrophe to read I'll tell you it details out how a group of German policemen who were moved to Poland during World War II were transformed from ordinary middle class working class or sorry ordinary working class men”
“The book does a remarkable job of detailing how your movement from normalcy to absolute perversity is a consequence of ten thousand micro violations of your conscience.”
“if you want to read about how this process works you can read a book called ordinary men by Robert Browning an ordinary man is about browning was interested in how the Nazis trained their police battalions”
Tim Pool just read ordinary Men by Christopher Browning 1
“just read ordinary Men by Christopher Browning”
Joe Kassabian I mean, not to keep linking these two things together, but one of the like one of the the things that stick… 1
“I mean, not to keep linking these two things together, but one of the like one of the the things that sticks out to me is in the book um ordinary men.”
Lex Fridman I was just watching this, documentary based on a book, Ordinary Men, talking about the Germans in Nazi Germ… 1
“I was just watching this, documentary based on a book, Ordinary Men, talking about the Germans in Nazi Germany that were taking part in the execution squads in Eastern Europe...”
Nick Freitas I also here's what I think said there was a book called Ordinary men that was talking about various SS grou… 1
“I also here's what I think said there was a book called Ordinary men that was talking about various SS groups and ISO and groups and whatnot within the the Nazis”
Robert Evans I mean, that's pretty pretty solidly thrown out the window by uh Christopher Browning's work um in Ordinary… 1
“I mean, that's pretty pretty solidly thrown out the window by uh Christopher Browning's work um in Ordinary Men, which then spawned one of the worst books on the Holocaust I think I've ever read called Hitler's Willing Executioners.”
“And um ordinary men. Christopher Browning points out before every mass killing to include the largest mass killing of human beings.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker4
“and if anybody's interested in this sort of process and this is a horrifying book if you want to read about how this process works you can read a book called Ordinary Man by Robert Brown”
“like the reserve battalion uh that Christopher Browning writes about. Those guys are all people who were um uh uh like discharged from military service or not allowed to have military service due to like medical problems.”
“And the person in the room with them, I believe, could only say, "You must continue the experiment." Yeah. Um but like and that of course uh directly inspired the the writing of ordinary men and amongst other things.”
“read ordinary men a book of how a book of how normal men become cold-blooded murderers in Poland during World War II don't think you would never do horrible things instead think what it would take for you to do horrible things”