Steal This Country: A Handbook for Resistance, Persistence, and Fixing Almost Everything

Gr 7 Up—This beginner's guide to activism for progressive causes begins with a brief history of protest in U.S. history, before frankly laying out key problem areas for the United States in the Trump era: climate change, racism, Islamophobia, and attacks on the rights of women, immigrants, people with disabilities, and members of LGBTAI communities. Although the first two-thirds of the book may leave readers feeling impatient for more varied examples of ways to take action beyond starting clubs at school and contacting elected officials, the final section details various forms of protest, fundraising, and organizing, with useful tips capitalizing on individual interests and strengths and maximizing the impact of one's chosen actions. The intended audience can feel limited at times to students with disposable income, supportive parents, and responsive schools; the degree to which class, race, and gender affect how student protest is received (and often punished) is not fully accounted for. However, each chapter includes numerous interviews with a truly varied group of (mostly youngish) social justice leaders, such as Gavin Grimm, activist for transgender student rights, and Tokata Iron Eyes, anti-Dakota Access Pipeline organizer, pointing to ways visionaries have effected change. Sections on environmental racism and allyship are especially clear, with relevant and timely examples. Occasional comics by talented cartoonists like GB Tran, Nicole Georges, and Richie Pope offer more personal reflections on the issues.