'Invites us to learn from those more courageous than ourselves' TIMOTHY SNYDER
'Inspiring … insightful' NEW YORK TIMES
'This book reminded me how to be brave' RENI EDDO-LODGE
An invigorating guide to fighting back - part philosophy, part history and part how-to guide for living with integrity in an age of authoritarian drift.
How do we push back in a world where political leaders wield fear and where social media misinforms? We need role models to show us how, and here, acclaimed writer Gal Beckerman goes looking for them.
Drawing on the stories of dissidents from around the globe and across time, from Socrates to Ai Weiwei, and Hannah Arendt to Iris Murdoch, Beckerman reveals the defining characteristics these extraordinary figures share and how they might equip anyone navigating the pressures of modern tyranny.
Structured around ten qualities - among them, Be Pessimistic, Be Funny, Be Reckless and Be Immortal - this illuminating book charts a dissident's journey from the solitary moment of recognising the truth, through the risks of speaking it and on to the last impact they can have.
Urgent and inspiring, Beckerman shows us that dissidence is a human capacity that we can all cultivate: a refusal to betray one's inner voice, no matter how great the forces around us. How to Be a Dissident lights the way.
'Profound … feels essential in these times' SARAH BAKEWELL, author of How To Live
'The book everyone needs NOW!' DANIEL KEHLMANN, author of The Director
'Urgent, wise, and immensely compelling … Everyone should read this book' CLAIRE MESSUD, author of The Emperor's Children
'A sharp, cogent analysis of what dissidents really do to fight repressive regimes' ANNE APPLEBAUM, author of Autocracy, Inc.
| ISBN: | 9780008806477 |
| Publication date: | 23rd April 2026 |
| Author: | Gal Beckerman |
| Publisher: | Monument Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 208 pages |
| Genres: |
Pressure groups, protest movements and non-violent action Disinformation and misinformation Political structures: totalitarianism and dictatorship Biography: philosophy and social sciences Collected biographies Social and political philosophy Political activism / Political engagement |
'Invites us to learn from those more courageous than ourselves' TIMOTHY SNYDER
'Inspiring … insightful' NEW YORK TIMES
'This book reminded me how to be brave' RENI EDDO-LODGE
An invigorating guide to fighting back - part philosophy, part history and part how-to guide for living with integrity in an age of authoritarian drift.
How do we push back in a world where political leaders wield fear and where social media misinforms? We need role models to show us how, and here, acclaimed writer Gal Beckerman goes looking for them.
Drawing on the stories of dissidents from around the globe and across time, from Socrates to Ai Weiwei, and Hannah Arendt to Iris Murdoch, Beckerman reveals the defining characteristics these extraordinary figures share and how they might equip anyone navigating the pressures of modern tyranny.
Structured around ten qualities - among them, Be Pessimistic, Be Funny, Be Reckless and Be Immortal - this illuminating book charts a dissident's journey from the solitary moment of recognising the truth, through the risks of speaking it and on to the last impact they can have.
Urgent and inspiring, Beckerman shows us that dissidence is a human capacity that we can all cultivate: a refusal to betray one's inner voice, no matter how great the forces around us. How to Be a Dissident lights the way.
'Profound … feels essential in these times' SARAH BAKEWELL, author of How To Live
'The book everyone needs NOW!' DANIEL KEHLMANN, author of The Director
'Urgent, wise, and immensely compelling … Everyone should read this book' CLAIRE MESSUD, author of The Emperor's Children
'A sharp, cogent analysis of what dissidents really do to fight repressive regimes' ANNE APPLEBAUM, author of Autocracy, Inc.
How to Be a Dissident features in the following genres: Pressure groups, protest movements and non-violent action, Disinformation and misinformation, Political structures: totalitarianism and dictatorship, Biography: philosophy and social sciences, Collected biographies, Social and political philosophy, Political activism / Political engagement
How to Be a Dissident is available in Paperback
How to Be a Dissident was written by Gal Beckerman and published by Monument Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
How to Be a Dissident has 208 pages
£11.69