The good
- Takes on issues like privacy, cybersecurity, hacking, anonymity, facial recognition, surveillance, civil liberties, and social activism. The book delivers a powerful message and makes you aware of both the risks and power of modern technology.
- An all-too-real take on what happens when government institutions (e.g., Department of Homeland Security) get powers that are far too broad, all in the name of “security.”
- Lots of fun, nerdy details such as public/private key encryption, mesh networks, Tor, the EFF, and “Paranoid Linux.”
The not so good
- The themes of the book make it interesting for adults, but the characters in the book, who are mostly high schoolers, make it feel like a young adult novel.
- After what’s happened in 2020, the “shocking” scenes of protestors being tear gassed feels… quaint now. That’s quite depressing.
Rating: 4 stars
Yevgeniy Brikman
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