12 Books to Help You Survive Trump's Presidency

Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections) by Stephen Prothero

For anyone trying to gain a little perspective and distance from the recent election and its aftermath, this book should do the trick. Prothero offers a sweeping view of American history to demonstrate that, overall, liberal values have tended to triumph in times of national debate. It's definitely something to keep in mind after the dismal flurry of executive orders the Trump presidency has kicked off with.

The Trump Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Living Through What You Hoped Would Never Happen by Gene Stone

The title is a little too on-the-nose, but maybe that's just what we need in these uncertain times. Stone focuses on the issues that will be at stake over the next four years, from women's and LGBTQ rights to Obamacare, immigration, civil rights, and national security. He outlines what Trump could try to do in these areas and what can be done to fight back.

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein

Trump got himself elected in part by boasting of his success as a businessman and promising that he would be just as successful running America. Setting aside the fact that Trump's business acumen appears to have been greatly exaggerated and that running a business and a country are two very different things, it's important to counter Trump's "America first" ideology by understanding how capitalism actually works. Klein's book does just that by focusing on how American capitalism takes advantage of disasters and shocked populations to expand its control. After the shock of Trump's election, this book provides a much needed wake-up call.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

After you're done reading this book, give it to someone else — preferably someone who is struggling to understand what feminism is and why it's necessary. This essay by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, based on her 2012 TEDx talk is eminently relatable as she explains in straightforward terms why she chooses to identify as a feminist.

What We Do Now: Standing Up For Your Values in Trump's America by Dennis Johnson and Valerie Merians

This collection of essays features inspiring minds such as Gloria Steinem, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, George Saunders, and Dave Eggers. The politicians, novelists, journalists, and activists each offer their perspective on what liberals can strive to accomplish over the next four years to try to limit the potential damage. The editors published a similar collection after George W. Bush was reelected in 2004.

Assh*les: A Theory of Donald Trump by Aaron James

The original Assh*les: A Theory was published in 2012. While it did mention Trump among other examples, it was focused on the broader mission of defining what characterizes assh*les, how they affect society, and how to deal with them in everyday life. This addendum was published as it became clear that Trump was not going to go away any time soon and gives us insight into why Trump behaves the way he does, how he justifies it, and how we can begin to repair what he has broken.

When We Fight We Win: Twenty-First-Century Social Movements and the Activists That Are Transforming Our World by Greg Jobin-Leeds

The Women's March that mobilized one million people throughout the United States on Jan. 21 was a much needed reminder of how powerful protests and social movements can be. But it's important for women and allies to use this momentum and build toward real action. This book explores how specific social movements, from LGBTQ rights to environmentalism, have worked to obtain victories.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Roxane Gay is one of the leading feminist voices of our time, and while reading this collection of essays, it's easy to see why. Gay explores a variety of subjects, from black representation in Hollywood films to the sexual subcontext in contemporary music, but does so in such a personal, relatable manner that ultimately the best thing you can glean from this book is her perspective and her way of interpreting the world. We're certainly going to need voices like Roxane Gay's under the Trump administration.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

It has been widely argued that one reason Trump won the election was because he appealed to white rural, underprivileged men and women who felt shut out and ignored by liberals and identity politics. It's important to understand this perspective, and Vance's memoir of growing up in Ohio in a trouble-ridden Kentucky family gives insight into an America that many liberals remain unfamiliar with.

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi

Although it was originally published in 1991, Susan Faludi's seminal book is just as relevant today. Popular discourse is peppered with the (misguided) belief that feminism, having accomplished what it set out to do, is now obsolete and even harmful to women. Faludi examines the subtle ways in which feminism is undermined everyday, highlighting the reason it is more necessary than ever to remain awake and aware.

March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

Civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis was in the spotlight recently when he declared that Trump was not a legitimate president in his eyes, causing Trump to lash out in the way we've already grown accustomed to: impulsively, aggressively, and on Twitter. John Lewis, who fought for civil rights alongside Martin Luther King Jr., is no stranger to adversity and fighting for one's beliefs. This graphic novel trilogy chronicles Lewis's experience within the civil rights movement and how he and his peers overcame repression and systemic prejudice to advance their fight.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

This classic novel by Margaret Atwood has been mentioned a lot lately, in part because it's being made into a TV series, but also because its dystopian universe where women are instrumentalized and subjugated as birth-giving vessels has struck a chord with women under an administration that places little value on women's health and reproductive rights.