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Permanent Record
- A Memoir of a Reluctant Whistleblower
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
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Permanent Record
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Summary
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass surveillance, reveals for the first time the story of his life, including how he helped to build that system and what motivated him to try to bring it down.
In 2013, twenty-nine-year-old Edward Snowden shocked the world when he broke with the American intelligence establishment and revealed that the United States government was secretly pursuing the means to collect every single phone call, text message, and email. The result would be an unprecedented system of mass surveillance with the ability to pry into the private lives of every person on earth. Six years later, Snowden reveals for the very first time how he helped to build this system and why he was moved to expose it.
Spanning the bucolic Beltway suburbs of his childhood and the clandestine CIA and NSA postings of his adulthood, Permanent Record is the extraordinary account of a bright young man who grew up online – a man who became a spy, a whistleblower, and, in exile, the Internet’s conscience. Written with wit, grace, passion, and an unflinching candor, Permanent Record is a crucial memoir of our digital age and destined to be a classic.
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What listeners say about Permanent Record
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- markj
- 14-10-19
Listen to this!
A fascinating insight into the truth behind the headlines as well as into Snowden himself. With the daily flow of news we often lack the perspective to see how events lead one to another, and Snowden does a good job of trying to explain in straightforward language how 9/11 and the political changes - not just in the US, but globally - in the subsequent years, opened the way to intelligence gathering on a massive and indiscriminate scale. For those who think that privacy is something on which we can compromise or - worse still - a commodity, this is a cautionary account.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- ramblingsofanelfpire
- 22-09-20
Sparks interesting discussions of government power
Going into this, I had an idea of what Snowden did in uncovering the US government’s system of mass surveillance but I didn’t know how young he was at the time or the details of what happened.
Hearing about this in Snowden’s own words was fascinating; he’s not an entirely likeable guy but I did feel sympathy towards him throughout and hearing his thought processes behind certain decisions made the risk all the more devastating.
As someone who has a passable level of IT skills, I found the discussions of surveillance, programming and encryption fascinating and Snowden described everything in a way that I could easily understand. It has sparked more of an interest in me of all things digital and I am sure I will pick up more books on the topic in the future.
Overall, if you are interested in privacy, governmental power in a digital landscape, or just learning more about a person whose name is now synonymous with the world of whistleblowing, I would recommend this book, particularly on audio.
4 out of 5 stars!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 14-03-20
Great book, but not easily digestible
This story is important in todays digital world, and it is not always easy to listen to. The events taking place touch us all, hence making the experience appear surprisingly personal. The reader does great work, although the speed could have been a bit slower. The story keeps in its grip until the end. The first third is background mostly, the middle third gets quite technical at times (unavoidable really), and the final third, where the ball really gets rolling, is the most captivating part of the story. Great story, great book, great read. This book is a must, in more than one way.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Typicalsardine
- 08-09-20
A must read
Amazing, a must read, snwden is a hero we should all rally for his freedom
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Millie
- 05-12-19
Informative, touching and inspiring!
"Volcanos are only destructive in the short term, in the long term they move the world" - Lindsey Mills Thank you Edward Snowden, stay free!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 15-12-19
Thank you Ed
A book full of emotions, very well narrated. Wherever you are Ed , stay well, we are eternally grateful for the sacrifices you, Lindsay and your family member’s has gone through for the betterment of your generation.thanks again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gerard Gos
- 08-05-20
Must Read
Very well written and read. Most importantly it tells a story about a man of principle. This world would be a better place if all humans' conscience were like his. Few people did things of similar magnitude.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 23-05-20
Loved it.
Loved it. Really good. Planning to get the book itself for my library to keep.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- BrankoUK
- 15-01-20
The book that defines a generation
Read this book. Ed Snowden is the hero we don’t deserve. If you think he’s a villain, read it anyway.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- CatPigg
- 28-02-20
Everyone needs to read this book.
This is, without any doubt, one of the best and most relevant books on the planet.
The more of us who bring this subject to the table, are aware and prepared to fight for digital freedom, the more likely our children and children's children will enjoy the rights we used to take for granted, so much so that we didn't even notice when they were taken from us by those who we ubiquitously trust.
Extremely well written, I am hoping for more books by Snowden. He's a talented individual. He pretty much gave up his life for all of us. He deserves to be heard.
He is a hero, in the truest sense of the word.
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