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
Prime Movers of Globalization
The Origin of Wealth
101 Reasons to Get Out of Bed
Systems Medicine
Building the Intentional University
From Bacteria to Bach and Back
Hit Refresh
The Splendid and the Vile
Profile of a Nation
Deep Survival
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
The Black Jacobins
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got
The Anatomy of Buzz
An Immense World
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
The Overview Effect
Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field
Built To Last
DMT: The Spirit Molecule
Showing Up for Life
The Price We Pay
The Big Picture
The Black Dahlia
It's All Too Much
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
Seeker
Be Here Now
Every Shot Counts
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind
Out of Many, One
Troublemakers
The Culture Code
The Bet
The Giving Tree
Boyd
Leaders
Switch
The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo
Dear Founder
Pale Rider
Vagabonding
Dune
The Upright Thinkers
The Writing Life
The God Delusion
Revolution
Steve Jobs
Mortal Republic
Thirst
Jane Eyre
Who Moved My Cheese?
The Power To Compete
The Sheltering Sky
The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty
Talking To Humans
How Companies Win
The Wisdom Paradox
Hyperbole and a Half
The Value Investors
The Only Game In Town
Continental Reckoning
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Not Fade Away
Six Thinking Hats
Numbers Don't Lie
Energy
Gridiron Genius
Money: Master The Game
Stumbling on Happiness
Incognito
Ficciones
Autobiography of a Yogi
Race and Culture
The Great Gatsby
Into The Silence
The Charisma Myth
Oscar
Uncaring
Death Rattle
Only the Paranoid Survive
The Art Of Doing Science And Engineering
The Crisis of Global Capitalism
Breath From Salt
The Jack Vance Treasury
In Over Our Heads
Lenin
Small Is the New Big
Long Walk to Freedom
Taken for Granted
What If?
Zoning Rules!
The Heart
Dreamland
The Trump Century
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Planetary
The Opium of the Intellectuals
Tenth of December
UFO Hunters