The Resilience Myth

A "vital, life-saving must-read" (Nora McInerny, author of Bad Vibes Only) manifesto for communal resilience based on in-depth investigations into history, social science, and psychology, from the bestselling author of Rage Becomes Her. We are often urged to rely only on ourselves for strength, mental fortitude, and positivity. "With her signature clarity and penetrating mind" (Jean Guerrero, author of Hatemonger), Soraya Chemaly challenges us to reject this model—based on a culture of toxic individualism—and, instead, leverage our interdependence. Drawing on comprehensive research and eye-opening examples from real-life, The Resilience Myth offers an "ambitious" (Publishers Weekly) feminist paradigm of resilience based on an ethic of care, cognitive flexibility, and the provision of material needs. Interdependence, collective care, and nurturing relationships to each other and the earth, she compellingly argues, are the keys to positively adapting to adversity and polycrises.

Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning author and activist. As the former executive director of The Representation Project and director and cofounder of the Women's Media Center Speech Project, she has long been committed to expanding women's civic and political participation. As a cultural critic and leading feminist thinker, she writes and speaks about gender, free speech, sexualized violence, technology and media, and the politics of supremacy. Ms. Chemaly has also spearheaded several successful global campaigns challenging corporations to address online hate and harassment, restrictive content moderation and censorship, and institutional biases. She is the author of Rage Becomes Her, The Resilience Myth, and All We Want Is Everything. A prolific writer and speaker, her articles appear in Time, The Verge, The Guardian, The Nation, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Follow her on her Substack, Unmanned, and on Instagram at @RageBecomesHer, and learn more at SorayaChemaly.com.