Reviews - How to Stand Up to a Dictator

566 reviews for:

How to Stand Up to a Dictator

Maria Ressa

4.34 AVERAGE

calamansi503's review

5.0

Brilliant, insightful, inspiring, and deeply moving. This book needs to be required reading in all schools, and for anyone who uses social media.

mlgardner1's review

4.0

Excellent thoughts about the importance of the freedom of speech to a free society. I have a lot of admiration for her courage and advocacy.

nalanson's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

Maria Ressa has lived an absolutely fascinating life and, as an autobiography, this book is fantastic because she does a fantastic job of expressing all of the unique events and circumstances that have led to where she currently is. As a book about how to stand up to and potentially end fascism? Well . . . this book leaves a fair bit to be desired. The author does occasionally make reference to the fact that capitalism is slightly to blame, or that progressive rights are on the chopping block but there is also a fervent belief throughout this book that our democratic institutions are good and worthy of protection. Are they? The US constitution is a deeply flawed document and the US government is a corrupt police state that is enslaved to the whims of late-stage capitalism. The Philippines was a US colony that was wildly brutalized by the US military and was set up with a constitution based off of the US document. Is it good to have faith in these "democratic" institutions? It seems naïve but maybe I'm just pessimistic and jaded.

jonnybrick's review

4.0

Supremely courageous, although the author will just say she's doing her job. Should be a set text on media courses - teens can read it too - for the way Ressa saw which way the wind was blowing, first with 24-hour breaking news at CNN, then at social media disrupter Rappler. Facebook comes off as badly as certain politicians, and there's a lot of humanity. Well done to the Nobel committee for giving her a welcome global platform.

bakerchef17's review

5.0

informative reflective fast-paced

Must read for people to understand what real journalism is and the pernicious power of social media and how it’s been weaponized by corrupt governments