Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring by Bassem Youssef

I bought Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring by Bassem Youssef at his performance in Eugene, Oregon. His performance was as interesting as the clips I'd seen of his show, so I was interested in seeing if the book would expand on his show or be totally different. His courage to speak the truth infiltrates both his performance and his book. His ability to apply humor to devastation is both uplifting and heart wrenching. There were times when I read about the Arab Spring from his point of view that I was astounded by how badly people can treat one another even though it's in the news all the time. I was taken aback by how easy it is for people in power to create a narrative to hold onto that power and take more power when they can control the media. Youssef shares his story, his struggle, his hopes, and his disappointments in this memoir of how he went from being a surgeon to a comedian as well as from a patriot of his country working for change from the inside to a politic fugitive for hosting a political/news satire show against the Egyptian government as the revolution evolved into another dictatorship. Youseff maintains his comedic edge and his satirical viewpoint throughout. Revolution for Dummies is a look into the way power manipulates society and how manipulation leads to more power. This book could just as easily be titled Dictatorship for Dummies for the way it breaks down the way authoritarianism works without ever losing its comedic edge.

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