# Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt

5 Hacker News commenters recommended Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt and 3 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as an important philosophical work on the banality of evil, drawn from the Eichmann trial. Main caveat: critics say it contains factual errors and that its ideas were not novel.

## Why people recommend it

- Important work on the banality of evil (4 comments): "Hannah Arendt wrote the fantastic "Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil" about exactly this observation." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46462685)) "It's a really important and recognized philosophical work, even if it's not perfect." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48185081)) "is highly regarded reading on this subject" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46068736))
- Highly regarded on its subject (2 comments): "It's a really important and recognized philosophical work, even if it's not perfect." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48185081)) "is highly regarded reading on this subject" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46068736))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140044507?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780140044508) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt", https://hackerapproved.com/p/eichmann-in-jerusalem/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).