Dare to Speak

“Should all speech be free? If not, who controls it? This brave, wise, succinct book is a must-read.” —Margaret Atwood, bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale

Online trolls and fascist chat groups. Controversies over campus lectures. Cancel culture versus censorship. The debates surrounding free speech dominate headlines and fuel social media storms. In an era where one tweet can launch—or end—your career, and where free speech is often invoked as a principle but rarely understood, learning to maneuver the landscape of public discourse has never been more urgent.

In Dare To Speak, Suzanne Nossel delivers a vital, necessary guide to maintaining democratic debate that is open, free-wheeling but at the same time respectful of the rich diversity of backgrounds and opinions in a changing country. Centered on practical principles, Nossel’s primer equips readers with the tools needed to speak one’s mind in today’s diverse, digitized, and highly-divided society.

At a time when free speech is often pitted against other progressive axioms—namely diversity and equality—Dare To Speak presents a clear-eyed argument that the drive to create a more inclusive society need not, and must not, compromise robust protections for free speech. Nossel provides concrete guidance on how to reconcile these two sets of core values within universities, on social media, and in daily life. She advises readers how to:

• Use language conscientiously without self-censoring ideas
• Defend the right to express unpopular views
• Protest without silencing speech.

Nossel argues that creating an open market of ideas demands aggressive steps to remedy exclusion and ensure equal participation. Replete with insightful arguments, colorful examples, and salient advice, Dare To Speak brings much-needed clarity and guidance to this pressing—and often misunderstood—debate.