You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
trianaalonso's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
azdraine's review against another edition
5.0
Informative and well written. Overall a very enjoyable experience whether you disagree or agree with this actions. This was my first autobiography book I read. The first couple of chapters are very relatable to any computer enthusiast and are more engaging that the later chapters.
zrees's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
georgebcrawford's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Craps on about how the internet raised him, but I get it. It's a different www out there now.
He has some fairly inspiring ideas sprinkled throughout, but as a read it's kind of boring in a way, but also a must-read.
He has some fairly inspiring ideas sprinkled throughout, but as a read it's kind of boring in a way, but also a must-read.
andeedevore's review against another edition
4.0
Whether you think he is a patriot or a traitor, Edward Snowden has started a conversation that we should all be paying attention to. What abilities should a government have to spy on its own people? Is the surveillance of everyday people actually critical for our own domestic protection? Should there be an increase in transparency in the US's surveillance practices? I think what struck me the most about Snowden's account is how government surveillance agencies have extremely problematic cultures - some employees seem to have no issue with sharing and commenting on nude photos of members of the public who likely believed those pictures were completely private. Their ability to access and view anyone's information, even if it has been "deleted," should cause pause for everyone.
Also, hi NSA.
Also, hi NSA.
malthereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
This volume by infamous CIA/NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden reminds me somewhat of James Comey's A Higher Loyalty, and not just because I read both of them for my local book club. Each is also half memoir and half political tract, finding a controversial public figure recounting his ethical origins and engaging in a bit of soul-searching to explain certain unpopular decisions… to admittedly mixed effect.
I definitely feel like I have a firmer grasp now on the facts of America's clandestine mass surveillance program that Snowden leaked to the public, as well as the government operative's personal history, but I'm not sure the author has satisfied me as to the thought process that led him to take the drastic actions that some have labeled treason. It's fine documentation mixed with hacktivist advocacy straight out of a Cory Doctorow novel, but a step below Comey and other thinkers who are able to really walk readers through their exact judgment calls.
Although I broadly agree with the positions he articulates herein and can relate to his childhood on the early internet, I still don't truly understand why Snowden diverged so radically from the rest of the intelligence community -- or how the writer positions himself in his own understanding of events. And in that sense, this text seems like a bit of a wasted opportunity.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
I definitely feel like I have a firmer grasp now on the facts of America's clandestine mass surveillance program that Snowden leaked to the public, as well as the government operative's personal history, but I'm not sure the author has satisfied me as to the thought process that led him to take the drastic actions that some have labeled treason. It's fine documentation mixed with hacktivist advocacy straight out of a Cory Doctorow novel, but a step below Comey and other thinkers who are able to really walk readers through their exact judgment calls.
Although I broadly agree with the positions he articulates herein and can relate to his childhood on the early internet, I still don't truly understand why Snowden diverged so radically from the rest of the intelligence community -- or how the writer positions himself in his own understanding of events. And in that sense, this text seems like a bit of a wasted opportunity.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
ibbyham's review against another edition
4.0
Edward Snowden (1983-pre) shares the journey of his life and his reasons for becoming a whistleblower of the NSA’s massive data collection. Everything is being tracked and can be traced. Now, I want to learn more about encryption. I want to reduce my online presence for two reasons: one, to be more present offline and two, to be someone who less data is generated about. The second one is impossible because we all generate so much. I want to become more conscious and purposeful about the content I consume and the advertisements I buy. I particularly liked the names of chapters 23, 24, and 29. Read, write, execute. Encrypt. Love and exile, respectively. I want to be so obsessed with the one thing that I love that my entire life becomes about just like Edward Snowden and his journey through the Tunnel. He says that it’s not enough to say what the problem is, you have to explain the entire system for someone to be able to understand how it’s wrong and why it’s wrong. Because most people, unfortunately, just don’t care.