Permanent Record

Edward Snowden

Book Synopsis

"Permanent Record" by Edward Snowden is a gripping memoir that unveils the author's journey from a promising young intelligence officer to becoming one of the most notorious whistleblowers in recent history.

Spanning across several continents and chronicling his time working for the National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Snowden explores the extensive surveillance programs employed by the United States government in the name of national security.

As he conscientiously documents the shocking extent of mass data collection and interceptions, Snowden becomes increasingly disillusioned with the moral implications and far-reaching consequences of these practices. Motivated by his firm belief in privacy as a fundamental human right, he decides to leak classified documents to the public.

The book bravely delves into the personal sacrifices and struggles Snowden faces as he goes on the run, leaving behind his family, friends, and a comfortable life to seek refuge in Hong Kong and later in Russia. He exposes the lengths governments will go to silence dissent and the complex legal battles that follow his revelations.

"Permanent Record" serves as a powerful cautionary tale, highlighting the urgent need for transparency and accountability in a digital age where personal information is constantly under surveillance. A testament to one individual's commitment to truth, this memoir challenges readers to question the balance between privacy and security and encourages them to reevaluate their own ideas of liberty and democracy.

In this intimate and thought-provoking narrative, Snowden, a deeply principled whistleblower, pulls back the curtain on the pervasive reach of government surveillance while urging readers to demand greater respect for privacy and fundamental human rights.

Explore More Books

See All
On Bullshit
Timelines of World History
The Internet of Money Volume 2
String Theory
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
The Principia
Paradigms Of A.I. Programming
The Bully Pulpit
The Beak of the Finch
Draft No. 4
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
The House of Getty
Rage Becomes Her
Barbarians At The Gate
The Three Body Problem
Storm of Steel
Play Anything
The Starfish and the Spider
When Genius Failed
Nonviolent Communication
Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track
Restoring Our Republic
Conflicted
Scientific Advertising
Hit Refresh
Trauma
Systems Medicine
Good Calories, Bad Calories
The Best We Could Do
Visual Explanations
Complexity and the Economy
The Paper Menagerie And Other Stories
Rick and Morty Book Two
When Prophecy Fails
The Salmon of Doubt
Statistical Models
Indistractable
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Bobby Kennedy
Originals
Exit Interview
On Wings of Eagles
Technopoly
Social Cognition
National Economic Planning
Trade Is Not A Four Letter Word
Pattern Recognition
The DevOps Handbook
Different
The Devil in the White City
The Second Machine Age
The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
Born Standing Up
No Two Alike
Trade-Off
The Wizard of Menlo Park
The Man Without a Face
The Boys in the Boat
The 5 Resets
The Wayfinders
Fast-Track Triathlete
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Reason Begins
All Out War
The Blank Swan
All The Light We Cannot See
A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories
Simple & Direct
Six Easy Pieces
Stories of Your Life and Others
Trailblazer
The Book of Life
True Enough
A Writer's Time
The Fear Book
Permanent Record
The Fry Chronicles
The Minefield Girl
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman
What Do People Do All Day?
Negotiating The Impossible
Blueprint
Leading
Small Is the New Big
The Great Influenza
Plagues and Peoples
Limping on Water
Mandela's Way
Ready Player One
Sunset at Blandings
Cultural Strategy
The Theory of Investment Value
Revolution from Within
State of Fear
Steve Jobs & The NeXT Big Thing
Fortune's Formula
Bad Therapy
Memories, Dreams, Reflections
The Slow Midnight on Cypress Avenue
The Decadent Society
Parfit