philosophika 's review for:

How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa

3.0

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I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. I wasn't expecting to read a chapter on high-school or the lessons Ressa learned from standing up for the classroom outcast. Are we supposed to clap? Well done? Am I meant to be astounded by her wisdom and mercy? The obnoxiousness of casting every miniscule moment of her life in heroic light diminishes the moments when Ressa is genuinely worthy of respect and admiration. The disservice her self-directed hero worship does to the book is that when these moments come around, all I can do is roll my eyes. Seriously, is this book about Ressa being amazing, or is it about how to stop a dictator?