by Chris Hedges
First published 2015
Modern inequality has reached a breaking point. Corporate elites ignore popular will while environmental destruction accelerates and surveillance systems expand. Chris Hedges investigates the social and psychological drivers behind revolutionary movements. He examines rebels across history and geography, from South African anti-apartheid activists to Canadian anti-fracking protesters to government whistleblowers. Drawing on philosophers, historians, and novelists, Hedges identifies what he calls "sublime madness" as the core force motivating resistance. This passionate state drives rebels to battle overwhelming oppressive forces. The book traces the personal costs of confronting power and demanding justice. Hedges argues that rebellion's value lies not in achieving victory but in the meaning found through resistance itself. The act of speaking truth to power transforms the rebel, regardless of outcome.
Genres: political-science, non-fiction, current-affairs, social-justice, activism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: rebellion, resistance
304 pages · Unknown Binding · Nation Books