How to Be a Dictator
An Irreverent Guide

Name: How to Be a Dictator
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Mikal Hem
ISBN: 9781538415436

Author: Mikal Hem, Kerri Pierce

Narrator: Ramiz Monsef

Unabridged: 5 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 06/06/2017

Categories: Nonfiction, Political Science, Political Ideologies

Synopsis

A tongue-in-cheek guide to becoming a dictator, based on the outrageous, scandalous, and excessive behavior of dictators past and presentWho hasn’t dreamed of one day ruling your own country? Along with great power comes unlimited influence, control, admiration, and often wealth. How to Be a Dictator will teach you the tricks of the trade—how to rise to the top and stay in power, and how to enjoy the fruits of your excellence.Featuring examples from the most successful leaders and regimes in the business, including Kim Jong Il, Robert Mugabe, Muammar Gaddafi, Nicolae Ceauşescu, François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, and many others, this handy guide offers ten easy lessons on becoming and acting like a dictator: from how to rig an election and create your own personality cult to the dos and don’ts of dictator fashion and palace architecture; how to become wealthy and spend your fortune the right way; expressing your literary genius; and how to avoid being toppled, exiled, and/or meeting any other dismal end.Combining black humor with political insights, How to Be a Dictator is peppered with horrifying and hilarious stories from some of the most eccentric modern world leaders.

About Mikal Hem

Mikal Hem has worked as journalist and political commentator for the newspapers Bergens Tidende, Dagblade, and Verdens Gang as well as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. He researched media censorship in authoritarian regimes at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University and has traveled extensively as a reporter, spending periods in Africa and the countries of the former Soviet Union. During his childhood, his family lived for a time in Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. He currently resides in Oslo, Norway.

About Ramiz Monsef

Ramiz Monsef has spent several seasons as a member of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s acting company, and he is the playwright of OSF’s 2013 production The Unfortunates. He has also appeared onstage in New York and in numerous regional productions.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kuszma on February 01, 2023

Hm, ez inkább szórakoztató, mint ismeretterjesztő. Hem, a szimpatikus, intelligens norvég srác hátradől a képzeletbeli karosszékben, miután beröffentette a kandallót, felszisszent egy doboz sört, és elkezd sztorizgatni a diktátorokról. Ne várjunk mélységet, csak egy csomó színes anekdotát sok Bugatt......more

Goodreads review by Settare (on hiatus) on July 06, 2020

How to Be a Dictator is a satirical collection of facts and anecdotes about contemporary tyrants and dictators; structured as a how-to book for anyone who aspires to become a dictator. Filled with dark humor, Hem manages to tell disturbing and upsetting facts in an enjoyable manner. The author is a N......more

Goodreads review by Cav on September 21, 2023

"As a dictator, you have the opportunity to accumulate enormous wealth, write bestselling novels, build monuments, palaces, and cities in your honor, enjoy unlimited access to attractive sexual partners, and wallow in luxury.." Despite being excited to start How to Be a Dictator, I didn't really enjo......more

Goodreads review by Mirek on December 03, 2016

Książeczka mogłaby nawet być śmieszna, gdyby tak bardzo nie odzwierciedlała naszej rzeczywistości. Rozdział 1 - "Jak zostać dyktatorem" i 2 - "Jak utrzymać się przy władzy" dość dobrze wyjaśniają dlaczego mamy atak na TK, przejęcie prokuratury, armii i policji, kontrolę nad mediami i ataki na niewyg......more

Goodreads review by Gema on December 23, 2023

Book of Madness! Pemaparan sejarah pemimpin-pemimpin gila yang merasa dirinya telah menjadi Dewa karena tangan telah menggenggam kuasa. Sejarah yang paling menarik menurut saya adalah mengenai para pemimpin di benua Afrika yang kebanyakan menjadi diktator setelah menjadi veteran pejuang kemerdekaan......more

Quotes

“Serious subject handled in a most humorous way . . . The details about the reign of small and large lunatics in a number of countries is in the background. But with his special take on the subject, and his relaxed, dry humour, it gets most readable. The book could just as well be read as a lesson in fun facts before a quiz night, as it can be a reminder of corruption, murder, and misgovernment.” Faedrelandsvennen

“Light and entertaining. Lots of facts. You’ll want to know more about the dictatorships after reading the book.” Finansavisen

“An extraordinarily funny study of political thinking, serious beneath the surface, filled with dark humor and remarkable facts.” Dagbladet