Knowing what's happening and how we got here helps us strategize and make plans for what to do next. I can't say reading these books will make you feel better about the recent election results, but I know they will help you see the reality of the world in which we live a little more clearly. All of these are recent works or classics and until at least January 20, 2025 you should be able to find them easily in a public library, book store, or online. If you're going to buy a copy, consider a used book seller or an independent bookstore.
I consider the books on this list essential recommended resistance reading. They are works of political philosophy, political science, history, and current events. I will add to this resistance library in future posts. I think it make sense to try and put our present moment in a historical context and I think that taken together these books do this. The books are listed in no particular order. They're all great. I know there are a lot of other books one could add to this list, but I kept my list to books I've actually read.
On Tyranny, How Democracies Die, and Anne Applebaum's books are all very short, quick, potent reads, and the physical books are small and thin. I recommend starting with these. The Origins of Totalitarianism and Manufacturing Consent are classics, but they're dense and some find them quite a slog. I had to attempt Arendt three times before finally finishing it, but it was worth it.
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
Tyranny, Inc. : How Private Power Crushed American Liberty and What to do about It by Sohrab Ahmari
Autocracy Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World by Anne Applebaum
Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum
How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for our Future by Maria Ressa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
Rich White Men: What it Takes to Uproot the Old Boys’ Club and Transform America by Garret Neiman
Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America by Barbara McQuade
Up next Fiction and Non-Fiction to Keep hope alive.
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