Best Human Rights Books of 2025

The Psychology of Totalitarianism by Mattias Desmet is a thought-provoking book that deconstructs the societal conditions that allow collective psychosis to take hold, leading to the emergence of totalitarian regimes. The author identifies the phenomenon of "mass formation" and clearly illustrates how close we are to surrendering to such regimes. The book provides detailed analyses, examples, and results from years of research, laying out the steps that lead toward mass formation. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the societal and psychological factors that contribute to totalitarianism.

Of Boys and Men by Richard V. Reeves is a thought-provoking book that sheds light on the struggles of modern-day men and boys. The author, a journalist and Brookings Institution scholar, offers fresh ideas and solutions to the complex crisis of boyhood and manhood. He argues that our institutions, attitudes, and laws have failed to keep up with the profound economic and social changes of recent decades, leaving many men behind. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in gender equality, parenting, and social justice.

The Gulag Archipelago Volume 1: An Experiment in Literary Investigation is a chilling report of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's arrest and interrogation, which exposed the vast bureaucracy of secret police that haunted Soviet society. The book has been hailed as the greatest single indictment of a political regime ever leveled in modern times and has had a profound impact on political and moral consciousness. The writing style is gripping and the content is powerful, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in Russian history and literature.

Cobalt Red is a groundbreaking exposé of the immense toll taken on the people and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by cobalt mining. Investigator Siddharth Kara has traveled deep into cobalt territory to document the testimonies of the people living and dying for cobalt. The book reveals the brutal mining practices, traces the supply chain of child-mined cobalt, and gathers shocking testimonies of people who endure immense suffering. Kara argues that we must all care about what is happening in the Congo because we are all implicated. This is a crucial book for anyone interested in environmental economics and human rights.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the National Book Award–winning author of Stamped from the Beginning comes a “groundbreaking” (Time) approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society—and in ourselves.. “The most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind.”—The New York Times . ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—The New York Times Book Review, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Shelf Awareness, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews. Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. At its core, racism is a powerful system that creates false hierarchies of human value; its warped logic extends beyond race, from the way we regard people of different ethnicities or skin colors to the way we treat people of different sexes, gender identities, and body types. Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even changes the way we see and value ourselves. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.. Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is a riveting first-person account of Ishmael Beah's experience as a child soldier. Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a heartbreaking story of how he fled attacking rebels at the age of twelve and was later picked up by the government army, where he was forced to commit terrible acts. The book is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty. This book is a must-read for everyone, as it offers a glimpse into the world of child soldiers and what it means to be human.

Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals, written by Saul Alinsky, is a must-read for anyone interested in community and labor organizing. Alinsky's techniques and teachings have influenced generations of organizers, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The book is a combination of political engagement, rational discourse, and adherence to the American democratic tradition. Alinsky's style and insight make this book a superlative guide for those looking to effect constructive social change. Overall, Rules for Radicals is an inspiring and thought-provoking read that provides practical advice for anyone looking to make a difference.

Dark Agenda: The War to Destroy Christian America by David Horowitz is a thought-provoking read that delves into the calculated efforts of the left to create a godless American society. Horowitz argues that the attacks on Christianity and its values threaten all Americans, including Jews like himself, and how the elimination of Judeo-Christian values could lead to the loss of our freedoms. The book traces the history of religious liberty from the Founding Fathers to the present day and reveals how the secular Left's disdain for Christianity has increased over time. Overall, Dark Agenda is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the current political climate and the role of religion in society.

How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Author and editor adrienne maree brown finds the answer in something she calls “pleasure activism,” a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. Drawing on the black feminist tradition, she challenges us to rethink the ground rules of activism. Her mindset-altering essays are interwoven with conversations and insights from other feminist thinkers, including Audre Lorde, Joan Morgan, Cara Page, Sonya Renee Taylor, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. Together they cover a wide array of subjects—from sex work to climate change, from race and gender to sex and drugs—building new narratives about how politics can feel good and how what feels good always has a complex politics of its own.Building on the success of her popular Emergent Strategy, brown launches a new series of the same name with this volume, bringing readers books that explore experimental, expansive, and innovative ways to meet the challenges that face our world today. Books that find the opportunity in every crisis!adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy and co-editor of Octavia’s Brood, is a social justice facilitator focused on black liberation, a doula/healer, and a pleasure activist. She lives in Detroit.PRAISE for Pleasure Activism:“[brown] demonstrates how we can tap into our emotional and erotic desires to organize against oppression.” —Colorlines“adrienne maree brown...continues to stake her claim as one of our most critical thinkers and strategists by intentionally combining the power of story-telling with practical applications to help readers conjure their own definition of pleasure and how it is inextricably linked to every part of our existence.” —Monica Simpson, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective"adrienne marie brown is back, again dropping wisdom about alternative ways to live at this deeply fucked-up moment ... Let this book be the best Valentine’s Day gift you’ve ever given yourself." —Vice/Broadly“adrienne maree brown dives deep, head first, into a fast swirling pool of pleasure-related topics. She swims her way from one end of the pool to the other with some help from her body-wise, experienced, friends. This book is all at once so cool, and so hot, with a rainbow of glorious compleXXXities. Pleasure Activism is bound to make a huge splash!” —Annie Sprinkle, author of Explorer’s Guide to Planet Orgasm—For Every Body“Engaging with politics and social justice issues, whether it's climate change, race, or gender, can feel like work (and it is). Adrienne maree brown makes the case that you can feel good while doing so ... [Pleasure Activism] will challenge you to rethink your approach to changing the world.” —Mashable"Pleasure Activism is an invitation to know ourselves and be in conversation with the desire of our lustful imaginations... [I]t makes our personal liberation irresistible." —Jasmine Burnett, activist and anti-oppression consultant"adrienne maree brown elucidates a philosophy of Pleasure Activism to transform individuals and so the world. Her explicit instructions encourage orgasms of the body, mind and spirit. First, in support of our own authentic lives, then so that we can live in loving community with others. It’s like a wise and juicy black goddess reopened Eden and said, 'Okay, everybody, let’s try this again.'" —Veronica Vera, author & founder of Miss Vera’s Finishing School For Boys Who Want to Be Girls

The book "People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present" by Dara Horn is a thought-provoking exploration of how Jewish history is used to comfort the living. The author reflects on various subjects related to Jewish culture, including the international fascination with Anne Frank, the Auschwitz exhibition, and the marketing of Jewish history in Harbin, China. Horn challenges readers to confront the reasons behind the fascination with Jewish deaths and the lack of respect for Jewish lives unfolding in the present. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Judaism and the complexities of Jewish life in the modern world.