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So You Want To Be A Dictator: A Supreme Leadership Guide For The Aspiring Authoritarian
"An amusing, cathartic political satire."
- Kirkus Reviews
Third Place in Humor of the 2022 Bookfest Awards
Feel like you should do more with your life? At the expense of others?
Then dictatorship may be for you!
In this satirical leadership guide for aspiring autocrats and assholes, learn how to dismantle boring old democracy and capitalize on your most tyrannical desires.
Join former government lackey turned humorist C.T. Jackson as he takes you from humble beginnings to your full, totalitarian potential, all the while basking in the batshit crazy examples of history’s most famous despots.
So You Want To Be A Dictator?
Well, dear leader, now’s your time!
Democracy is so last century.
- Kirkus Reviews
Third Place in Humor of the 2022 Bookfest Awards
Feel like you should do more with your life? At the expense of others?
Then dictatorship may be for you!
In this satirical leadership guide for aspiring autocrats and assholes, learn how to dismantle boring old democracy and capitalize on your most tyrannical desires.
Join former government lackey turned humorist C.T. Jackson as he takes you from humble beginnings to your full, totalitarian potential, all the while basking in the batshit crazy examples of history’s most famous despots.
So You Want To Be A Dictator?
Well, dear leader, now’s your time!
Democracy is so last century.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2022
8 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
C.T. Jackson
3 books10 followersC.T. Jackson owes more than 3.5 million USD in bridge loans to several international banks. He has no intention of paying these loans back and has already spent the money on poor investments in the Juicero cold press juicer. (He really thought those were going to take off).
He received his master's degree in International Relations from Georgetown University for some reason. He is currently being held in a gilded cage at the Intercontinental Hotel in Davos, Switzerland. When he is not laundering his Amazon book royalties, he spends his time avoiding prison with his wife in Frankfurt, Germany.
He received his master's degree in International Relations from Georgetown University for some reason. He is currently being held in a gilded cage at the Intercontinental Hotel in Davos, Switzerland. When he is not laundering his Amazon book royalties, he spends his time avoiding prison with his wife in Frankfurt, Germany.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 2, 2024
This is an honest review from Booksirens. I greatly appreciate the chance to read this book and with this kind of title it's a book that was honestly made for me. That's why I was so gratified that the author mentioned teachers as potential, interested parties at the beginning of the book. The only thing I can criticize is that he focused on primary educators, as a secondary educator I feel I am far more qualified and ready to utilize the information in this book. It hurt that my dictator potential was overlooked (insert tears here), I kid, but I was truly excited by the premise of this book.
I did rate this book 3 stars, but it is closer to 3.5 for me, not through any deficiency in the book but more because of the format used. By this I mean, that this book would be a great YouTube series. I often found myself reading in a sort of podcast/narrator voice just because the author's sarcasm seemed to suit that kind of delivery. I could even picture the little cartoons, images, and graphs that would float by in the background.
The book is very reader-friendly, it's not going to bog you down with political ideology or history. Though that can be a double-edged sword because there were some jokes that even I, as a history teacher, didn't catch because my knowledge of Turkmenistan's dictator isn't that nuanced (as an example).
I will also include my one criticism of the book here, as I don't want to end on a negative note. I don't know if there is a right way to address genocide in political satire but it didn't hit the mark for me. Genocide goes along with dictators so do you ignore the issue or do you mention it but skirt around it? I'm not sure, but with everything happening in our world, I was left feeling uncomfortable.
All in all, I enjoyed the snappy and quirky delivery of this book. As a teacher, I was much more invested in the beginning of the book because I could see the applications as a lesson starter or a quick activity. However, I still know several students who would enjoy this book, but I might keep it away from the edge-lord teenage boys in my classroom, for my own sanity.
I did rate this book 3 stars, but it is closer to 3.5 for me, not through any deficiency in the book but more because of the format used. By this I mean, that this book would be a great YouTube series. I often found myself reading in a sort of podcast/narrator voice just because the author's sarcasm seemed to suit that kind of delivery. I could even picture the little cartoons, images, and graphs that would float by in the background.
The book is very reader-friendly, it's not going to bog you down with political ideology or history. Though that can be a double-edged sword because there were some jokes that even I, as a history teacher, didn't catch because my knowledge of Turkmenistan's dictator isn't that nuanced (as an example).
I will also include my one criticism of the book here, as I don't want to end on a negative note. I don't know if there is a right way to address genocide in political satire but it didn't hit the mark for me. Genocide goes along with dictators so do you ignore the issue or do you mention it but skirt around it? I'm not sure, but with everything happening in our world, I was left feeling uncomfortable.
All in all, I enjoyed the snappy and quirky delivery of this book. As a teacher, I was much more invested in the beginning of the book because I could see the applications as a lesson starter or a quick activity. However, I still know several students who would enjoy this book, but I might keep it away from the edge-lord teenage boys in my classroom, for my own sanity.
August 21, 2022
This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook.
I am not much on either politics or book humor. Most book attempts just don't seem to strike the right chord with me. I tend to steer away from political books as they tend to be so polarizing.
I have long felt that what this world is lacking is my leadership. True to my ancestry, I don't want to be President, but only see myself as Emperor, World Emperor. Just need to do away with the enacting of laws via oversight and pleasing everyone, when the only one that really needs to be pleased is ME. Stop whining about my leadership. Just bow down and make me happy.
The best humor is based upon some truth. I love sarcasm. We need to own up to the truth and embrace it. Without acknowledging the truth in ourselves there is no change for the better. Trump fans will not like this book, but they don't read anyway (wink).
This was a GoodReads.
I am not much on either politics or book humor. Most book attempts just don't seem to strike the right chord with me. I tend to steer away from political books as they tend to be so polarizing.
I have long felt that what this world is lacking is my leadership. True to my ancestry, I don't want to be President, but only see myself as Emperor, World Emperor. Just need to do away with the enacting of laws via oversight and pleasing everyone, when the only one that really needs to be pleased is ME. Stop whining about my leadership. Just bow down and make me happy.
The best humor is based upon some truth. I love sarcasm. We need to own up to the truth and embrace it. Without acknowledging the truth in ourselves there is no change for the better. Trump fans will not like this book, but they don't read anyway (wink).
This was a GoodReads.
October 8, 2022
Further proof that humor is an effective teacher. My retention of information is often a reflection of my amusement or outright laughter, so I may be referring to this the way others quote the Bible. The author shows great pattern recognition (could he be a mathematician, perchance?), & this is a much more enjoyable & memorable way to identify the big & microscopic dictators on the rise & in decline. I received a Kindle edition from a Goodreads giveaway.
July 21, 2025
This is my 100th book review, and I couldn't be more pleased to write it about So You Want To Be a Dictator.
I am head over heels with C. T. Jackson's writing style. This book quips up all your desires for satirical political rot (great focus on the twisted words of our past!).
When you read it, don't feel shocked if you see the notion of tyranny wrapped in the skin of leadership.
Political science nerd? Get in on it. Amazing read!
I am head over heels with C. T. Jackson's writing style. This book quips up all your desires for satirical political rot (great focus on the twisted words of our past!).
When you read it, don't feel shocked if you see the notion of tyranny wrapped in the skin of leadership.
Political science nerd? Get in on it. Amazing read!
September 15, 2022
The author’s wit is amazing. This little book is an accurate, irreverent and insightful view of many world leaders. Loved the humor and tips for wannabes.
February 9, 2023
Hilarious!!!
This book was full of satire & was hilarious!! Although there were parts that seemed real!! Definitely worth the laughs!!!
This book was full of satire & was hilarious!! Although there were parts that seemed real!! Definitely worth the laughs!!!
September 6, 2025
The author uses a blend of both satire and whit to teach you (yes, you!) the reader on how to tumble your country's lousy democracy. Real world examples included! 4.25/5.
April 16, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Oh the joy of finding someone who shares my very niche humour : the laughing about politics kind. Because this is one of the nerdiest kind of humour, we usually do it very seriously, and that’s what I really loved about this book.
Yes it’s funny but behind the humour it’s also incredibly serious, like this part : best way to describe the French revolution
“Just a few years later, France decided to make a nice lunch of baguettes and bags of heads. In 1789, the poor masses stormed the Bastille and launched the French Revolution. (A bunch of American idiots would try to use a similar tactic over two centuries later.) King Louis XVI was facing an economic crisis and tried to raise taxes (not on the rich though, that would be insane!). The people thought that Louis had lost his head, given his outrageous demands. So they made it a reality, along with nearly 10,000 others. A man named Robespierre would seek out any critics to the revolution and relieve them of their heads. He would end up being deemed too harsh and be guillotined as well. You should be taking notes. You don’t want to end up with an angry crowd at your palace gates, particularly a French one.”
Same with this description of Vladimir Putin, which is painfully accurate
“A high-level KGB agent and mayor, Putin loves long walks in the park that result in the assassination of perceived enemies. He has a desire to revert the world back to the Cold War but uses new age tactics such as malware, disinformation, and Donald Trump to achieve it.”
Also made me realise that the USSR made legacy is lots of dictators in the Central Asia part of the ex USSR, something in the water?
Oh the joy of finding someone who shares my very niche humour : the laughing about politics kind. Because this is one of the nerdiest kind of humour, we usually do it very seriously, and that’s what I really loved about this book.
Yes it’s funny but behind the humour it’s also incredibly serious, like this part : best way to describe the French revolution
“Just a few years later, France decided to make a nice lunch of baguettes and bags of heads. In 1789, the poor masses stormed the Bastille and launched the French Revolution. (A bunch of American idiots would try to use a similar tactic over two centuries later.) King Louis XVI was facing an economic crisis and tried to raise taxes (not on the rich though, that would be insane!). The people thought that Louis had lost his head, given his outrageous demands. So they made it a reality, along with nearly 10,000 others. A man named Robespierre would seek out any critics to the revolution and relieve them of their heads. He would end up being deemed too harsh and be guillotined as well. You should be taking notes. You don’t want to end up with an angry crowd at your palace gates, particularly a French one.”
Same with this description of Vladimir Putin, which is painfully accurate
“A high-level KGB agent and mayor, Putin loves long walks in the park that result in the assassination of perceived enemies. He has a desire to revert the world back to the Cold War but uses new age tactics such as malware, disinformation, and Donald Trump to achieve it.”
Also made me realise that the USSR made legacy is lots of dictators in the Central Asia part of the ex USSR, something in the water?
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews