23 Books to Rise Up and Resist

Victim rights’ lawyer Carrie Goldberg started her law firm—with a focus on revenge porn, sextortion, and Title IX violations—after being stalked by an ex-boyfriend for six months. In this searing account of our era of doxxing and online predators, Goldberg shares the heart-wrenching stories of her clients as well as their bravery in fighting back against the status quo. Simultaneously a researched history into how we got here, a guide to keeping yourself safe, and a call to arms to upend the system, Nobody’s Victim is essential reading.

Award-winning journalist Caitlin Moscatello covered the unprecedented wave of women running for office during the 2018 election cycle, and in See Jane Win, she expands on that incredible story by bringing to life the journeys of four candidates: Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Catalina Cruz of New York, Anna Eskamani of Florida, and London Lamar of Tennessee. Their stories underline the difficult realities of running for office as women and as women of color, the systemic help that makes a difference, and the undeniable power of outrage and determination.

With a title that responds to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s argument We Should All Be Feminists, the authors of these 17 essays grapple with the questions raised by intersectional feminism. Why do some women feel they can’t identify with the contemporary feminist movement? Why does intersectionality matter? And what could intersectional feminism look like for contemporary women? Essays by Brit Bennett, Soofiya Andry, Emer O’Toole, and many more come together in a radical anthology for 21st century feminists.

Noam Chomsky called this radical book from national political correspondent D. D. Guttenplan “a timely and instructive call to action.” Guttenplan profiles nine activists currently changing America, including labor activist Jane McAlevey, Jackson, Mississippi mayor and racial justice campaigner Chokwe Antar Lumumba, #ALLOFUS co-founder Waleed Shahid, and environmental activist Jane Kleeb. All of these new progressive leaders are emerging in the post-Trump era to lead the way forward.

The best-selling authors of Rad Women Worldwide and Rad American Women A-Z have a new collection, this time about young women who have already made their marks on the world before the age of 20. Rad Girls Can features young women such as Barbara Rose Johns, who organized a high school protest that helped ignite the Civil Rights Movement, and Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee whose heroic efforts saved a sinking boat of 20 people, and who became an Olympic swimmer. Each story is accompanied by the authors’ signature paper-cut art.

Those new to the resistance need to get started somewhere. Road Map for Revolutionaries offers practical advice and lessons for long-term political action. Readers can learn how to take key actionable steps for change at the local, state, and federal levels. Tips cover supporting marginalized communities, protecting online privacy, sustaining your energy for the long haul, and staying safe at protests. Pick up a copy of Page’s book and join the revolution.

Climbing the Hill is a nonpartisan guide to creating a meaningful career in Washington. Harrison and Sneed are both staff members of the Republican and Democratic house leadership teams. They offer inside advice and hard strategies for building a career in politics, so you can make a difference from a position of power.

The Second Sex was a sensational, groundbreaking book when it was first published in 1949. Now this slim, modern volume contains three key chapters of Beauvoir’s important feminist text. The distilled version showcases perceptive writing on the condition of women and suggests real social reforms for equality between the genders. A historical manifesto for the feminist resistance that’s sure to rouse a new generation.

The hosts of the hit Unladylike podcast created this field guide to inspire modern feminists. Conger and Evin offer facts with a sense of humor, as they explain how patriarchy shows up in our everyday lives. The information they present about how politics intersect with our work, money, sex lives, and home lives will make you want to behave in a very unladylike fashion.

For everyone who’s wondered what they should tell children in the midst of a divisive time, 50 diverse children’s authors and illustrators offer their answers. In letters, essays, art, and poetry, authors such as Andrea Pippins (I Love My Hair) and Kwame Alexander (The Crossover) share their wisdom with America’s youth.

The title for Steal This Country was inspired by the ’70s counterculture classic Steal This Book. Styron offers young people of today’s era a similar call to civil disobedience, providing information on key issues like racial justice and intersectionality, interviews with youth activists, and how-to advice for effective social activism. It’s an inspiring, useful handbook for middle school kids and teens who are ready to start the future now.

The Kickstarter-crowdfunded, New York Times bestselling children’s books about amazing women are now available on audio. Listen to fairytale-style bedtime stories about girls who grew up to be scientists, dancers, and political leaders, now narrated by an all-female cast that includes Alicia Keys and Ashley Judd. These stories are sure to inspire young girls and women everywhere to follow their dreams.

Feminists ages 12 and up will enjoy some relief from the trials of living in a kyriarchy with this funny card game that celebrates Nastiness. Collect as many Nasty Women as you can, from Michelle Obama to Beyoncé and the Notorious RBG. Strategize and shout out your best answers to the Statement Cards, but avoid the You’re Trumped Card, or you’ll lose. The last nasty woman to hold cards in the game wins.

Hear the stories of the West Wing from 18 members of President Obama’s White House staff. Each staffer in this book tells an inspiring personal story: A Muslim adviser takes a trip to a mosque with the President. A senior aide battling cancer works to implement the Affordable Care Act. The personal stories of the brave, hardworking people who created and implemented progressive Obama-era policies will humanize history and inspire readers to strive for social change.

Based on the viral McSweeney’s piece of the same name, Caitlin Kunkel’s collection is a satirical, humorous take on a world of feminist fantasies. The hot, lusty daydreams include respectful Tinder dates, earned promotions, and gender parity in Congress. A lighthearted book that still manages to describe a radical, utopian future for everyone.

The teenagers who launched one of the largest youth-led movements in global history tell their story. Glimmer of Hope shows how these young people channeled their anger and sadness into action in the aftermath of a tragedy. The founders of the movement call their peers to action in this moving book. One-hundred percent of net proceeds go to the March For Our Lives Action Fund.

Senator Kamala Harris’s memoir tells the story of a girl raised by immigrants and civil rights activists in California, who grew up to become an advocate for social justice in the American government. Throughout a career as a change-making prosecutor, District Attorney, chief law enforcement officer, and California Senator, Harris has been committed to learning and supporting the truths that can make our communities stronger. She shares her accomplished past and her vision for the future.

This historical children’s book by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand tells the story of the leaders who won women the right to vote. Children will be inspired by real women like Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Mary Church Terrell. This book teaches them that ordinary people create social change, and that they too can dare to change the world.

A radical herstorical look at 70 women, girls, and nonbinary people who have taken action to change the world. The leaders profiled are not just women, but people of color, trans people, queer people, young people, disabled people, and spiritual people. Authored by radical activist Blair Imani, Modern HERstory is sure to teach you about a few important figures overlooked by traditional history.

This collection of essays, curated by writer and Pink Protest founder Scarlett Curtis, features the writings of celebrities, activists, and artists. All of these contributors muse on what feminism means to them personally, and why being a feminist is about so much more than rejecting the color pink. Authors include Emma Watson, Keira Knightley, Olivia Perez, and Angela Yee.

This lift-the-flap board book features adorable illustrations of change-making feminists as babies. From Frida Kahlo to Gloria Steinem and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, these inspiring figures show even the youngest feminists that babies of all genders can grow up to change the world.

Author and professor Camille Paglia has collected 25 years of work into one volume of perceptive, thought-provoking writing on culture, from punk rock to the The Odyssey to historical figures. The collection opens with an introduction that could operate as a manifesto, informing readers of the values she holds dear: freedom of speech, respect for art, and the crucial importance of questioning the world.

The first full biography of the Notorious RBG took professor emerita Jane Sherron de Hart 15 years from start to finish. This profound volume shares Ginsburg’s experiences, from her private life to her career and philosophical ideals. Through a set of beliefs informed by Tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to “repair the world,” a girlhood set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, and the personal tragedy of losing her mother to cervical cancer, we see an independent and intellectually fierce woman emerge.