Perceptive. Passionate. Piercing.

Following Sim Kern on social media is an absolute education on speaking your truth, standing up for what’s good in the world, and using your platform to make a difference. The author rose to prominence in the wake of The Free People’s Village, their 2023 novel set in an alternate timeline where Al Gore became President in 2000. They already were known for speaking up against politicians, business leaders, and other powerful people in society as part of their book promotion efforts. But after the events of October 7, 2023 – and the subsequent atrocities in Gaza and other parts of Palestine – they began a new life as an anti-Zionist activist who also happened to be Jewish.

Those efforts, which included raising thousands of dollars for Palestinian families, led to the creation of Genocide Bad, a book dedicated to educating people on how to refute the propaganda of Zionists and the Israeli Defense Force. Subtitled “Notes on Palestine, Jewish History, and Collective Liberation,” it’s a detailed treatise that helps people better understand the events on the ground in the region. Think of it as a primer designed to teach a new generation of activists who have been radicalized by the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

What makes this book successful is the overarching approach and focus. Kern using plain, everyday language to make their arguments, the same methods they use with their videos on TikTok and Instagram. In fact, the volume was initially pitched as a way for them to collect their speeches in print form, with some updates. However, as the writing progressed, Kern began injecting more and more of their own experiences as a budding activist. Thus, instead of a bleak collection of facts and figures about how Palestinians have been subjected to horrible acts by the Israel government for 100+ years, we get a hopeful tome packed with helpful ideas, clear-eyed tactics, and deeply footnoted information.

If you’ve ever read the deeply moving The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi and wanted to know what you should do next, you need to read Genocide Bad.