the dictators 2024 review

Price: $19.99 - $13.00
(as of Dec 26, 2024 00:58:16 UTC - Details)

From the recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize comes an impassioned and inspiring memoir that chronicles her career fighting fascism, filled with insights and advice for standing against authoritarian bullies and confronting disinformation and lies. It includes an introduction by Amal Clooney.

Maria Ressa is one of the most renowned international journalists of our time. For decades, she challenged corruption and malfeasance in her native country, the Philippines, on its rocky path from an authoritarian state to a democracy. As a reporter from CNN, she transformed news coverage in her region, which led her in 2012 to create a new and innovative online news organization, Rappler. Harnessing the emerging power of social media, Rapplercrowdsourced breaking news, found pivotal sources and tips, harnessed collective action for climate change, and helped increase voter knowledge and participation in elections.

But by their fifth year of existence, Rappler had gone from being lauded for its ideas to being targeted by the new Philippine government, and made Ressa an enemy of her country’s most powerful man: President Duterte. Still, she did not let up, tracking government seeded disinformation networks which spread lies to its own citizens laced with anger and hate. Hounded by the state and its allies using the legal system to silence her, accused of numerous crimes, and charged with cyberlibel for which she was found guilty, Ressa faces years in prison and thousands in fines.

There is another adversary Ressa is battling. How to Stand Up to a Dictator is also the story of how the creep toward authoritarianism, in the Phillipines and around the world, has been aided and abetted by the social media companies. Ressa exposes how they have allowed their platforms to spread a virus of lies that infect each of us, pitting us against one another, igniting, even creating, our fears, anger, and hate, and how this has accelerated the rise of authoritarians and dictators around the world. She maps a network of disinformation—a heinous web of cause and effect—that has netted the globe: from Duterte’s drug wars to America's Capitol Hill; Britain’s Brexit to Russian and Chinese cyber-warfare; Facebook and Silicon Valley to our own clicks and votes.

Democracy is fragile. How to Stand Up to a Dictator is an urgent cry for Western readers to recognize and understand the dangers to our freedoms before it is too late. It is a book for anyone who might take democracy for granted, written by someone who never would. And in telling her dramatic and turbulent and courageous story, Ressa forces readers to ask themselves the same question she and her colleagues ask every day: What are you willing to sacrifice for the truth?

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial (November 28, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063257521
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063257528
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.72 x 8 inches
Reviewer: Eric W
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very important Information; well written!
Review: Excellent and engaging story. Explains a LOT about what the U.S. has been going through recently. The Philippines is 8 years ahead of us!

Reviewer: Feisty old lady
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent read
Review: Should be read by all

Reviewer: duncan11
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good Book and Used One
Review: Looks like a used Book. The book is good though. Highly recommended but the seller seems not honest with there description.

Reviewer: Mitchell Ivers
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A breathtaking book by one of the most extraordinary figures of times
Review: She is brave, she is brilliant, and she is a beautiful writer. Don't let the simplicity of the "how to" title mislead you. This is one of the deepest, most insightful books written in recent years that explain the mess the world is in and what we've been doing to allow it. The "how to" of course is that she did it--she stood up to Duterte in the Philippines, but she's much too humble to call the book "How I stood up to a dictator." The real "how to" of the book is that it inspires the reader to think more deeply, know more with complexity, and therefore be in a position to help change the world for the better. The dictators we have to stand up to are not only the politicians, but also the men who own the social-media-companies that are poisoning our social discourse.

Reviewer: Willie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: How to think about the future Trump Presidency.
Review: Sometime you read a book, whether fiction or non-fiction, that touches your mind, your heart and your soul in a manner that prepares you better to live life’s challenges. We are all being faced with such a challenge given the results of our recent election. How we deal with the changes that are about to occur will determine who we are and what we want our country to be. Maria Ressa’s “How to Stand up to a Dictator” helps to “blueprint” a manner in which to deal with the coming challenges. I urge everyone to purchase this book, and both “gird your loins” and sympathize with Maria’s fight for the Philippines, and, by extension our homeland.

Reviewer: Richard E. Beebee
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Fight for Freedom of the Press
Review: If you ignore attacks on Freedom of the Press, you soon will not have that freedom. Politicians dislike having a transparent presentation of their machinations and scream about most media. This book, written by a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, discusses how misinformation creeps into media channels, corrupts the real truth with "alternate facts" and presents a program on how to fight back. I believe that if you value your own "freedoms" this book will give you food for thought on why and how to protect them.

Reviewer: M. Alexander
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A must read for the current times
Review: As a Filipino-American, this was such an important perspective to witness — and to realize how large an impact disinformation campaigns brought about by malicious parties and groups on social media can have on a country’s state of affairs and political landscape. We must hold the line and keep our government officials and tech companies accountable. Surveillance capitalism must be regulated to the fullest extent, if not completely eradicated. Human rights must come before profit. We are living this nightmare right now and it’s up to us to change course for the better.This was written so effectively and concisely. I was glued between listening to the audiobook and reading the hard copy version. Both were phenomenal. Fully support Maria Ressa’s fight for justice and press freedom!

Reviewer: Joe Blow
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: St Maria the Martyr
Review: She has an easy way of writing and draws the reader in at the outset, from the death of her father at a young age to being "kidnapped" by her mother and new stepfather, hustled off to the US at a young age and learning how to speak English and survive in a new country.Et voila, her hard work gets her into Princeton, but her calling is really back in the Philippines, where her high moral ground knows no end, none.She says nothing (zero) about her mother and stepfather, whose surname she carries. Nothing other than they worked very hard. Even at the end, nothing other than they moved to Manila to be closer to her, but of course she never saw them. Or if she did doesn't mention it. Same for her sister who was 'kidnapped' with her-two sentences towards the end of the book. And pretty much nothing about her stepsisters or brothers. Oh, she does mention she's gay, but says nothing much about it or any relationships, anything that would give more context to the woman.She's far far too busy getting ready to be nailed on the cross. And we are reminded of her sainthood constantly. Please. Or when she's called by the Nobel Committee. "OMG, OMG" of course she had absolutely no idea, none. Hard being so righteous. I really wanted to like her, but all that moralising and lack of who SHE is made it a book with little colour.I fully agree with her dislike of FB, by the way, and her points are well taken, no question. Either she could have written an actual biography or a screed against Big Tech, but instead tried to take on both. Doesn't work. Not for me.

Reviewer: Barry
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: are that it is the essence of a thing; that reality (the power of performance created in each person’s now moment) is the manifestation of it, as in a conscious awareness of its existence; that you have to be in it to see it, because it’s like experiencing infinity, a hyper-synchronicity, which is an omniscient truth happening instantaneously and which can only be experienced in a now moment; that it is dynamic in nature, because it’s an infinite constant; that it is forever evolving, because reality (that which was created and is being created) precedes truth; and that it is always found on the foundation of light (knowledge) and love. Who you are is a unique gift of love and love loves to be loved. It’s a purity of intent. It’s the core honesty of all that is. Since your willingness to receive determines what you experience, whenever one chooses not to receive love, the void may be filled with separation, hate, revenge, contradictions and negative chaos generated by despair.

Reviewer: Cliente Amazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Una historia alucinante que conecta mucho con el poder de la información

Reviewer: Tara Mallon Doyle
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: So well written and informative. Everyone should read this. An acceptional book written by an acceptional woman !

Reviewer: flutura
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: "How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future" by Maria Ressa is a must-read for anyone concerned about democracy and freedom of speech. Ressa’s firsthand account of facing persecution in the Philippines is both harrowing and inspiring, showcasing the vital role of a free press.The book arrived promptly and in excellent condition, thanks to Amazon’s reliable service. Ressa’s clear and engaging writing makes complex issues accessible. Her insights into the weaponization of social media and the power of information are particularly relevant today.This book challenges readers to reflect on their role in defending democracy. Ressa’s resilience and passion for justice are incredibly inspiring, reminding us that the fight for freedom is a collective responsibility.

Reviewer: christophe
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Maria Ressa explique la réalité des médias sociaux: facebook, google et twitter qui sèment la haine et la violence pour l'argent... Elle en est une des victimes... Et nous aussi!