Permanent Record (Young Readers Edition)
How One Man Exposed the Truth about Government Spying and Digital Security
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
- دیدگاه کاربران
نقد و بررسی
December 1, 2020
The young readers version of the bestselling memoir by a man who revealed the scope of the U.S. government's spying on its own citizens. Snowden gained instant fame in 2013 when he released documents to hand-picked journalists that demonstrated the depth of the National Security Agency's unconstitutional surveillance of ordinary Americans' phone calls, emails, texts and more. His memoir uncovers the roots of his concerns and traces his journey from eager government intelligence worker to whistleblower. The book is divided into three parts. The first covers Snowden's growing-up years, including his fascination with computers and the internet, his hacks for getting through school with minimal effort, his first job, a short stint in the Army, meeting his future wife, and eventually obtaining his first high-level security clearance at age 22. Part 2 focuses on his increasing unease as he moved up the intelligence career ladder. Part 3 details how he discovered the massive invasion of ordinary citizens' privacy, his decision to alert the press, and the sobering aftermath. Snowden tells good stories that illuminate his thinking while also providing intriguing glimpses into the world of surveillance. His prose is crisp and clear, although the afterword written for this version, which focuses on staying digitally safe on the internet, is not as tight as the rest of the book. An absorbing read about digital privacy and one man's fateful choice to disclose government secrets. (Memoir. 12-18)
COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
January 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-In 2013, CIA contractor Edward Snowden (b. 1983), a white American, fled the country after copying and leaking classified National Security Agency data on global surveillance. Snowden, who was charged with espionage by the U.S. government, currently remains exiled in Moscow, Russia. In the preface, Snowden adopts a conversational tone and language appropriate for young readers to unpack why he became a whistleblower. The text describes his childhood both in North Carolina and near Fort Meade in Maryland where both of his parents worked. Students who don't like the monotony of school will enjoy Snowden's stories about being bored in the classroom and not feeling challenged by curricula or teachers. As the memoir progresses, Snowden discusses his post-secondary education, military service, and first jobs while seamlessly defining terms and explaining relevant network technology. Reviews of the adult trade edition describe the book as part memoir, part fictional thriller-those elements are definitely part of this adaptation. The short chapters are suspenseful. Snowden shares in meticulous detail how he copied, stored, and transported the classified data all while in fear of detection and arrest. VERDICT A fascinating look behind the scenes of real-life espionage. Recommended for high school and public libraries.-Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State Univ., NH
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 15, 2021
Grades 5-8 Noted whistleblower Snowden offers this compelling memoir of growing up as a hacker, an evolution that leads to an adult career in the U.S. intelligence service and a growing disenchantment with deepening governmental surveillance in the wake of 9/11. Ultimately, he famously shares a cache of highly classified documents with journalists, revealing the government's mass surveillance of its citizens, an act that leads to his being branded a traitor and becoming stranded in Moscow when the government revokes his passport. He has been living there in exile in the seven years since. Skillfully adapted from Snowden's best-selling adult book, this version for young readers examines the what, the why, the how, and the consequences of his bold decision to go public. His descriptions of his use of computer technology are occasionally weedy but more often lucid and easy to follow. Couple this with the suspenseful story of his dangerous acquisition and release of government documents and you have a fascinating, sure-to-be-controversial read.
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