The best books for advocates and activists

By Stephenie Foster

Who am I?

I grew up in an Italian-American, Catholic household. Early in life, I was told I couldn’t be an altar boy. When I asked my mom why, she told me that girls weren’t altar boys…that seemed ridiculous to me and it started me on a lifelong journey of advocating for the rights of women and girls. I have built a career out of pushing for better laws and policies to provide women the same opportunities and resources as men. I’ve served as Chief of Staff to two U.S. Senators on Capitol Hill, General Counsel in the Executive Branch, and in senior leadership in the non-profit sector.

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The books I picked & why

We Should All Be Feminists

By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,

Why did I love this book?

This is a short, readable book that makes a compelling case about feminism and how it has a positive impact on society. It is easy to take in and very accessible. It encourages us all to talk about issues of equality and disparity and understand how we can all move forward together.

We Should All Be Feminists

By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked We Should All Be Feminists as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The highly acclaimed, provocative essay on feminism and sexual politics—from the award-winning author of Americanah

In this personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from the much-admired TEDx talk of the same name—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century. Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author’s exploration of what it means to be a woman now—and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.

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Coming soon!

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference

By Greta Thunberg,

Why did I love this book?

Another short book, of Greta Thunberg’s speeches on how she sees her work to address the climate crisis. She is a compelling voice and this book captures her views and perspectives. The book highlights how one person’s voice can literally change the conversation we collectively have on an issue. Greta started by sitting outside the Swedish parliament —by herself—with a sign protesting inaction on climate change. She has a clear message that resonates with people of all ages. This book of speeches is an easy way to understand her thinking, her outrage, and her advocacy.

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference

By Greta Thunberg,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller by Time's 2019 Person of the Year

"Greta Thunberg is already one of our planet's greatest advocates." -Barack Obama

The groundbreaking speeches of Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist who has become the voice of a generation, including her historic address to the United Nations

In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day in order to protest the climate crisis. Her actions sparked a global movement, inspiring millions of students to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a…

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Caste

By Isabel Wilkerson,

Why did I love this book?

This book challenges all of us to think about race in America and confront how racism has shaped the United States and had an impact globally. It also uses personal anecdotes to emphasize the academic discussion. I find this book particularly compelling as we all confront racism, sexism, and intersectionality. It made me question my views and how I would have responded in a particular situation. It also gave me a better understanding of the author’s experiences as a Black woman facing the world, and how those experiences are different from mine.

Caste

By Isabel Wilkerson,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Caste as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE TIME NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR | #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Powerful and timely ... I cannot recommend it strongly enough" - Barack Obama

From one of America's most celebrated and insightful writers, the moving, eye-opening bestseller about what lies hidden under the surface of ordinary lives

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human…

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American history

Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World

By Eliza Reid,

Why did I love this book?

The First Lady of Iceland (herself a Canadian) captures how Icelandic women have, and continue to, shape Icelandic society. Not all of the women she interviews consider themselves feminists, but they all are making their own way in the world without any apologies. Read it before your trip to Iceland!

Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World

By Eliza Reid,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Secrets of the Sprakkar as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER!

A New York Times Book Review Editor's Pick

"Secrets of the Sprakkar is a fascinating window into what a more gender-equal world could look like, and why it's worth striving for. Iceland is doing a lot to level the playing field: paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and broad support for gender equality as a core value. Reid takes us on an exploration not only around this fascinating island, but also through the triumphs and stumbles of a country as it journeys towards gender equality."
-Hillary Rodham Clinton

Iceland is the best place on earth to be a…

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You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War

By Elizabeth Becker,

Why did I love this book?

These three women journalists broke the barrier of women reporting on war. All were different in terms of background and approach, but all were gutsy and told the story from a different perspective than their male colleagues. Given they were reporting in the 1960s, there were overt barriers that each faced to doing what they loved, whether those were rules about women’s presence on the frontlines or norms about what kind of reporting women should do. In each of their own ways, they broke down those barriers and gave us all fresh, important reporting on the conflict in Vietnam.

You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War

By Elizabeth Becker,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked You Don't Belong Here as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The long buried story of three extraordinary female journalists who permanently shattered the official and cultural barriers to women covering war.

Kate Webb, an Australian iconoclast, Catherine Leroy, a French dare devil photographer, and Frances FitzGerald, a blue-blood American intellectual, arrived in Vietnam with starkly different life experiences but one shared purpose: to report on the most consequential story of the decade.

At a time when women were considered unfit to be foreign reporters, Frankie, Catherine and Kate paid their own way to war, arrived without jobs, challenged the rules imposed on them by the military, ignored the belittlement and…

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5 book lists we think you will like!

The best books on women journalists working in dangerous places

The best books about Vietnam from a multitude of sources

The best books on racism in the USA

The best books to read for a clearer understanding of many facets of the human condition

The best books for group biographies of women

Interested in the news media, climate change, and the economy?

9,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about the news media, climate change, and the economy.

The News Media Explore 20 books about the news media

Climate Change Explore 159 books about climate change

The Economy Explore 178 books about the economy

And, 3 books we think you will enjoy!

We think you will like The Doctors Blackwell, Braiding Sweetgrass, and Street Without Joy if you like this list.

The Doctors Blackwell

By Janice P. Nimura,

From the list on group biographies of women.

By Heather Clark Author

Why did Heather love this book?

Janice P. Nimura digs deep into the diaries and letters of the Blackwell sisters, who were among the very first women in America to be trained as doctors. The book reads like a novel without sacrificing historical accuracy and scholarly rigor. I found myself deeply moved by the sisters’ struggles to be taken seriously as physicians in an entirely male world. Jeered in lecture halls and treated as curiosities off-campus, they maintained a dignified courage and a relentless work ethic. Eventually, they shamed their skeptics and opened the doors for future generations of women doctors. This is a compelling tale told well.

The Doctors Blackwell

By Janice P. Nimura,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Doctors Blackwell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world at first recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity ultimately won her the acceptance of the male medical establishment. In 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an M.D. She was soon joined in her iconic achievement by her younger sister, Emily, who was actually the more brilliant physician.

Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies, and enduring partnership, Janice P. Nimura presents a story of trial and triumph. Together,…

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Braiding Sweetgrass

By Robin Wall Kimmerer,

From the list on helping managers build resilience in challenging times.

By Monna Wong Author

Why did Monna love this book?

Braiding Sweetgrass is a beautiful meditation on the interconnectedness of living things. It has shaped my thinking about ecosystems—not just in the natural world, but within social justice movements, communities, and organizations.

The concept of being in the “right relationship,” which comes from many Indigenous cultures, is one that has greatly influenced how I lead and manage, and Robin Wall Kimmerer’s deep dive into the relationship between humans and the natural world is incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Braiding Sweetgrass

By Robin Wall Kimmerer,

Why should I read it?

34 authors picked Braiding Sweetgrass as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Called the work of "a mesmerizing storyteller with deep compassion and memorable prose" (Publishers Weekly) and the book that, "anyone interested in natural history, botany, protecting nature, or Native American culture will love," by Library Journal, Braiding Sweetgrass is poised to be a classic of nature writing. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer asks questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces indigenous teachings that consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take "us on a journey that is…

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Street Without Joy

By Bernard B. Fall,

From the list on Vietnam from a multitude of sources.

By Myra MacPherson Author

Why did Myra love this book?

This brilliant classic of military history and human folly, first published in 1961, should have been read by America’s “best and brightest” architects of America’s 10-year fiasco. French Journalist and historian Bernard Fall vividly captured the sights, sounds, and smells of the brutal conflict between the French and the Communist-led Vietnamese nationalists. I get angry every time I think of the arrogance of America’s leaders who never examined Fall’s insightful warnings of the futility of jungle fighting that would defeat the United States in the bloody years to follow. Fall’s blueprint for disaster graphically shows that even with lethal modern military force, the French could not defeat the hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, booby traps, and nighttime raids that would become drastically familiar to American troops. The final French downfall ended at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Street Without Joy has remained in print for half a century and I stress that it should still be required reading.

Street Without Joy

By Bernard B. Fall,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Street Without Joy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in 1961 by Stackpole Books, Street without Joy is a classic of military history. Journalist and scholar Bernard Fall vividly captured the sights, sounds, and smells of the brutal-- and politically complicated--conflict between the French and the Communist-led Vietnamese nationalists in Indochina. The French fought to the bitter end, but even with the lethal advantages of a modern military, they could not stave off the Viet Minh insurgency of hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, booby traps, and nighttime raids. The final French defeat came at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, setting the stage for American involvement and a far bloodier…

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History

The best books for advocates and activists

Who am I?

I wrote...

Take Action: Fighting for Women & Girls

What is my book about?

The books I picked & why

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the news media, climate change, and the economy?

And, 3 books we think you will enjoy!

Who am I?

Heather's book list on group biographies of women

Why did Heather love this book?

Who am I?

Monna's book list on helping managers build resilience in challenging times

Why did Monna love this book?

Who am I?

Myra's book list on Vietnam from a multitude of sources

Why did Myra love this book?