Gal Beckerman
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
📤 15686
📥 135
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Staff writer at The Atlantic, formerly NYTBR, and author of the forthcoming “How to Be a Dissident.”
pinned post!
I’ve spent the past year on a search. How do we push back against the forces that are crushing us right now? How do we resist the dehumanization of our politics, our technology? The answers came from people who pushed back before us: the dissidents...🧵
5 months ago
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 days ago
A new chronicle of Trump’s second term achieved stratospheric sales for a nonfiction book. Gal Beckerman explores what the success of “Regime Change” might mean for the president:
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The Surprising Return of the Blockbuster Trump Book
What the wild success of Regime Change, after a long slump in newsy nonfiction, might say about the state of the presidency.
https://bit.ly/4eTaOeO
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Gill Wildman
5 days ago
My holiday reading is superb. Thanks so much
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
for this bloody hopeful book and massive thanks
@anandwrites.bsky.social
for pointing us to it from your brilliant writing! Anchors, both of you, to where to look for the fire to act.
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
13 days ago
@boriskachka.bsky.social
speaks with
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
about the philosophers whose thinking helps explain the symbolic importance of the UFC fight staged in front of the White House. Read more in The Atlantic’s Books Briefing.
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The Thinkers Who Explain This Baffling Era
These philosophers are less arcane—and more relevant—than some readers might think.
https://bit.ly/4ewWRo5
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
16 days ago
@boriskachka.bsky.social
speaks with
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
about the philosophers whose thinking helps explain the symbolic importance of the UFC fight staged in front of the White House. Read more in The Atlantic’s Books Briefing.
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The Thinkers Who Explain This Baffling Era
These philosophers are less arcane—and more relevant—than some readers might think.
https://bit.ly/4ekG9rL
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
20 days ago
For his 80th birthday, Donald Trump threw America a UFC fight—and one particular book can help you understand how this "spectacle of excess" expresses Trump's worldview,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
writes:
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The French Theory That Explains the UFC Fight
By staging a “spectacle of excess” on the White House lawn, Trump expressed the violent essence of his worldview.
https://bit.ly/4oqSfCZ
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I watched the UFC fights last night and I can promise you this is the only piece that brought Roland Barthes into the Octagon.
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The French Theory That Explains the UFC Fight
By staging a ‘spectacle of excess’ on the White House lawn, Trump expressed the violent essence of his worldview.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/06/trump-ufc-250-and-barthes-spectacle-excess/687549/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbq1Pskaxu6VWga7ocItGGgIE&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
20 days ago
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
26 days ago
As our nation turns 250, it’s worth asking what form patriotism should take,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues. A new book about American pride prompted him to ponder what it means to love an unfinished country:
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The Two Kinds of American Patriotism
As our nation turns 250, it’s worth asking how best to love one’s country.
https://bit.ly/3QdMufp
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Asher Black
26 days ago
This exalted patriotism, a “still-religious intuition that we have already arrived.” It has left festering injustices unattended, “dumb wars,” and a perpetual red-white-and-blue fireworks display that distracts from difficult truths about the country’s failings.
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
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The Two Kinds of American Patriotism
As our nation turns 250, it’s worth asking how best to love one’s country.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/06/how-redefine-american-patriotism/687467/
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I laid out in
@theatlantic.com
a few different ways to love America when you're not on board with Pete Hegseth's idea of patriotism.
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The Two Kinds of American Patriotism
As our nation turns 250, it’s worth asking how best to love one’s country.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/06/how-redefine-american-patriotism/687467/
27 days ago
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Neil Turkewitz
27 days ago
“Erdozain’s argument is that, again and again, the myth of America allowed its leaders to act in ways that violated the founding ethos, that the country was ‘an idea trapped in its own publicity’.” An idea trapped in its own publicity. Brilliant!
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
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The Two Kinds of American Patriotism
As our nation turns 250, it’s worth asking how best to love one’s country.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/06/how-redefine-american-patriotism/687467/
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Gal Beckerman
tam
about 1 month ago
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
and
@wajali.bsky.social
I was on the waitlist for weeks to get this from my library, but worth the wait 🤓 thanks so much for writing it ❤️
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Gal Beckerman
Kristofer Goldsmith
about 1 month ago
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
’s new book “How To Be A Dissident” is the latest addition to the Antifascist Book Club reading list. Check out @onoffensepod wherever you get your podcasts for my conversation with Gal. Links in thread 👇
#antifascistbookclub
#bookclub
#howtobeadissident
#readinglist
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 1 month ago
With his new encyclical, Pope Leo XIV makes a case for resisting AI on grounds far beyond religion; he argues for the importance of human fallibility and struggle,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
writes:
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The Pope Is Now the World’s Most Famous Humanist
Leo XIV’s encyclical about artificial intelligence makes a strong argument in favor of human fallibility.
https://bit.ly/4vdm9wW
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Gal Beckerman
Jóska Takács
about 1 month ago
Read it. Learn it. Know it. Live it.
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Gal Beckerman
Jóska Takács
about 1 month ago
“[Sisyphus] is happy because he understands that this kind of thing — trudging up and down, up and down — is not a punishment, actually, but what all humans have done for all time.” ~ Gal Beckerman, “How To Be A Dissident”
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 2 months ago
If you’re heading out for a summer vacation, The Atlantic’s writers and editors have suggested some page-turners to bring along. Our staff writer
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
chose “The Silver Bone.” See more selections here:
theatln.tc/eUSwrLje
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Gal Beckerman
Boris Dralyuk
about 2 months ago
A killer recommendation from
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
for
@theatlantic.com
Summer Reads special—the first of Andrey Kurkov’s Kyiv Mysteries. Samson Kolechko just unraveled his third case for
@harpercollins.bsky.social
and
@quercusbooks.bsky.social
, so you had better catch up!
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Gal Beckerman
PEN America
about 2 months ago
In this week’s PEN Ten interview, we speak to
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
about How to Be a Dissident (Crown Publishing Group, 2026). The book teaches readers to fight back by adopting 10 qualities. Among them: Be funny. Be reckless. Be immortal. Check it out:
pen.org/gal-beckerman-the-pen-ten
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Gal Beckerman, Author of ‘How to Be a Dissident,’ Was His Own Intended Audience
In this PEN Ten interview, Gal Beckerman discusses How to Be a Dissident, which seeks to teach readers how to fight back.
https://pen.org/gal-beckerman-the-pen-ten
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This is today! At noon! Click to watch live.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 2 months ago
On May 13, join the Atlantic staff writer Gal Beckerman and podcast host Adam Harris to discuss Beckerman’s new book, “How to Be a Dissident,” which is part history and part manual for living with integrity in an age of conformity and authoritarian drift.
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Atlantic Reads: How to Be a Dissident With Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic staff writer Gal Beckerman and podcast host Adam Harris discuss Beckerman’s new book, How to Be a Dissident.
https://bit.ly/4d4mETH
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Gal Beckerman
To the Contrary
about 2 months ago
How to Be a Dissident • The Best Strategy? Be a Hopeful Pessimist ... A conversation with Gal Beckerman
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How to Be a Dissident
The Best Strategy? Be a Hopeful Pessimist ... A conversation with Gal Beckerman
https://charliesykes.substack.com/p/how-to-be-a-dissident
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Gal Beckerman
Charlie Sykes
about 2 months ago
The power of the “No Kings” Protests. Today’s “To the Contrary” podcast with Gal Beckerman.
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Gal Beckerman
Charlie Sykes
about 2 months ago
Dissidents need to take the long view. Today’s ‘To the Contrary” Podcast w/ Gal Beckerman.
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Gal Beckerman
Charlie Sykes
about 2 months ago
Dissidents need to cultivate a sense of humor. Today’s “To the Contrary” podcast with author Gal Beckerman.
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Gal Beckerman
Walter Mondale’s Ghost 🇺🇸🇩🇪🇺🇦🇨🇦☦️
about 2 months ago
An excellent podcast with
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
and
@sykescharlie.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
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How to Be a Dissident
Podcast Episode · To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes · May 9 · 48m
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/to-the-contrary-with-charlie-sykes/id1794683063?i=1000766941688
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Gal Beckerman
aRemedy
about 2 months ago
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
I recommend this book.
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Gal Beckerman
Andrea Chalupa
about 2 months ago
🧵Dissidents are the stubborn people who insist on creating the world they want to live in. This week on Gaslit Nation,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
discusses his new book, How to Be a Dissident Listen to the conversation we all need right now:
www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-tra...
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How to Be a Dissident — Gaslit Nation
On this hopeful Gaslit Nation, we confront the MAGA fascist takeover with a look at the ultimate antidote: how to be a dissident.
https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2026/5/5/how-to-be-a-dissident
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 2 months ago
Ibram X. Kendi’s new book, "Chain of Ideas," describes the "Great Replacement" theory as the product of a conspiracy—but he fails to explain why it appeals to people in the first place,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues:
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For Ibram X. Kendi, It’s Nazis All the Way Down
His new book describes the “Great Replacement” theory as a convoluted plot, but fails to explain why it appeals to people in the first place.
https://bit.ly/4u2qQJS
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Gal Beckerman
Gaslit Nation
about 2 months ago
@galbeckerman.bsky.social joins Gaslit Nation for How to Be a Dissident, on obedience amid rising autocracy. Trump, ICE, China, and Iran show why conscience matters more than comfort. Listen:
https://loom.ly/cxVzJ2k
#oligarchy
#dictatorship
#dictatortrump
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Gal Beckerman
Extremely grateful for this deeply engaged review of How to Be a Dissident in the
@lareviewofbooks.bsky.social
, which correctly diagnoses my state of mind: "He does not flinch from his own dilemmas...This is writing that trusts the reader to be in the same difficulty. It earns that trust."
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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Gal Beckerman
aRemedy
2 months ago
“When others demand you close your eyes, you keep them open.” —Gal Beckerman, How To Be A Dissident
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Extremely grateful for this deeply engaged review of How to Be a Dissident in the
@lareviewofbooks.bsky.social
, which correctly diagnoses my state of mind: "He does not flinch from his own dilemmas...This is writing that trusts the reader to be in the same difficulty. It earns that trust."
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 months ago
Ibram X. Kendi’s new book, "Chain of Ideas," describes the "Great Replacement" theory as the product of a conspiracy—but he fails to explain why it appeals to people in the first place,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues:
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For Ibram X. Kendi, It’s Nazis All the Way Down
His new book describes the “Great Replacement” theory as a convoluted plot, but fails to explain why it appeals to people in the first place.
https://bit.ly/49fovCJ
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Gal Beckerman
Joe Stieb
2 months ago
This is an excellent review of a book that looks terrible.
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I wrote about Ibram X. Kendi's new book, which takes on the admirable task of cataloging the spread of the dangerous Great Replacement Theory, but ignores the actual reasons why its proven so appealing.
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For Ibram X. Kendi, It’s Nazis All the Way Down
His new book describes the “Great Replacement” theory as a convoluted plot, but fails to explain why it appeals to people in the first place.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/05/ibram-x-kendi-chain-of-ideas-great-replacement-book-review/687060/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbq-k7s7feBw0LLy3XEitEQ8c&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
2 months ago
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Gal Beckerman
Daniel Ziblatt
2 months ago
Read this book. An account of how to be a citizen in the face of authoritarianism
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Gal Beckerman
PacifistCell
2 months ago
I loved this definition from *How to be a Dissident* by Gal Beckerman (as reported in The Contrarian, Jen Rubin):
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Gal Beckerman
Alison loves stories
2 months ago
Just finished this one and can not recommend it enough. Compulsively readable, easily accessible, truth telling history, empowering stories, well documented strategies for all of us. A good companion to Timothy Snyders on Tyranny.
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Gal Beckerman
Yaël Eisenstat
2 months ago
Just trying to read. (Thanks for the book recommendation
@jenrubin.bsky.social
. Enjoying
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
, despite my pup’s intervention.)
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Gal Beckerman
Mila Atmos
2 months ago
This conversation with
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
is uplifting and a reminder to all citizen changemakers that we must keep speaking the truth.
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Gal Beckerman
KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘
2 months ago
The Atlantic
@theatlantic.com
Gal Beckerman
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
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Gal Beckerman
Future Hindsight
2 months ago
When you hear the word “dissident,” you might be thinking of some wild protest with barricades and shoving, but it’s deeper than that. Resistance belongs to all of us. And this week,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
lays out a path for change we should all consider. (2/3)
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Future Hindsight
2 months ago
TOMORROW:
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
joins us to discuss the radical idea that dissidence belongs to all of us. Living with truth is the starting point to being a citizen changemaker and to taking impactful civic action. Tune in TOMORROW wherever you get your podcasts! 🎙️
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Gal Beckerman
Jeff Wasserstrom
2 months ago
Very pleased to see The Milk Tea Alliance as a phenomenon & Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal as an individual make cameos in the just published book How To Be a Dissident by
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/816867...
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Gal Beckerman
Howard French
2 months ago
🙌🏼
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Today’s the pub date for this little rocket of a book that was no more than some jotted down notes a year ago. I hope you get a chance to check it out, and I hope it feels meaningful and helpful!
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2 months ago
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Gal Beckerman
Jeff Wasserstrom
2 months ago
Happy publication day to
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
whose important and engaging new book How to Be a Dissident is out today
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/816867...
(a strong short follow up yo his impressive last book on the history of social & intellectual movements The Quiet Before)
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How to Be a Dissident by Gal Beckerman: 9798217089215 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
An invigorating guide to fighting back—part philosophy, part history, and part manual for living with integrity in an age of conformity and authoritarian drift How do we push back in a world where...
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/816867/how-to-be-a-dissident-by-gal-beckerman/
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Gal Beckerman
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫
3 months ago
A sharp, urgent review of a sharp, urgent book. A lesson worth remembering—now, and always.
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"How to Be a Dissident" is out tomorrow...But you can NOW read
@astra.bsky.social
's review in the
@nytimes.com
of a book she calls "one man’s reckoning with the existential questions posed by the rising tide of authoritarianism."
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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Gal Beckerman
Astra Taylor
3 months ago
I reviewed
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
's rousing manual How to Be a Dissident. It's a timely provocative book that grapples with the existential questions posed by rising authoritarianism, and it challenges us to wrestle with what kind of dissident we'd like to be.
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/b...
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Is There a Right Way to Rebel?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/books/review/how-to-be-a-dissident-gal-beckerman.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cFA.A2K4.tdd7JQpc4o0Q&smid=url-share
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