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    Permanent Record
    Permanent Record
    Permanent Record
    Audiobook11 hours

    Permanent Record

    Written by Edward Snowden

    Narrated by Holter Graham

    5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateSep 17, 2019
    ISBN9781250622686
    Permanent Record
    Author

    Edward Snowden

    Edward Snowden was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and grew up in the shadow of Fort Meade. A systems engineer by training, he served as an officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, and worked as a contractor for the National Security Agency. He has received numerous awards for his public service, including the Right Livelihood Award, the German Whistleblower Prize, the Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling, and the Carl von Ossietzky Medal from the International League of Human Rights. Currently, he serves as president of the board of directors of the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

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    Reviews for Permanent Record

    5/5

    555 ratings53 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I'm half way through and so far I highly recommend this book to everyone. Very much and eye opener of the sacrifice of our privacy in the digital era.

      3 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Personal is political storytelling kept my interest. Good tech explanations too.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I have no words to express the power of this book. It's life changing. I'm grateful that such a patriot as Edward Snowden has a new safe place in this world.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Very interesting and informative. Information security is the future field of the world.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Sincerity, structure, meaning ... all at the top, one of the most important books of our time, a must read.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Awesome book, Edward is a great person who is working for the common good and not selfishly. Hope he will return home in the future!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Thank you for all you've done and for sharing it with us.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Opens up another world , a world of technology and secrecy .

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A true American hero, such an amazing story of his life .

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Fantastic writing, recommend to anyone that has used the internet. Not too tech speak heavy at all.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      a hero, a survivor, a fighter, someone to look up to. a human being.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is an important book that everyone should read. Mr. Snowden writes with a sincerity that makes us listen. And even though the events are now “old news” in the world constantly barraged with whatever is new, we need to be constantly vigilant for the continued infringement of the privacy of all people.

      Edward Snowden should be given a hero’s accolades rather than the cold exile he is living.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is one of the most important books written in any time or place. Ed Snowden is more than an American hero, he’s a hero for humanity. I pray his sacrifices will never be in vain, and that the world will one day embrace him and champion his call for liberty through privacy, and a return to the constitution and the rule of law for ALL citizens.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I think the book was great and very informative.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Great stuff. Would recommend. Privacy is a fundamental right.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A first person look into the thoughts and experiences of a genuine hero of our time. A MUST READ for the youth in our current world. Edward Snowden made history.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      If you live in this world and want a real world account of heroism and principled living, Edward Snowden is the human to listen to.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      It was thrilling listen. Starts out slowly at first and then before you know it, you’re ducking and diving with Snowden hoping not to get caught. Overall, the book does well at illuminating the issue of mass surveillance. The reader also did an amazing job! Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      Just listening to what Snowden did and how he came to his conclusions is not only entertaining but also frightening. Clearly we are still in the throes of the Big Brother watching our every move and now with the “cancel culture” we are returning to the days of McCarthyism.
    • 5/5
      This is an important memoir of an unequivocal hero that details the clandestine NSA mass surveillance program that was exposed in 2013.

      The story gives us great insight into the important events of Snowden's childhood and adult life that led right up to his decision to become a whistleblower.

      The aftermath of his decision is summarized in a way that gives the reader/listener satisfying closure to a story that reads like something out of a science-fiction thriller.

      I highly recommend the audio version, as it makes for an even more compelling experience-- the narrator even sounds like Ed Snowden himself.

      Permanent Record has given me all the more reason to reflect on and admire Snowden's heroism and sacrifice for the public good. He is a true patriot.
    • 5/5
      Snowden presents the facts and details of his journey to commit the crime of revealing the biggest conspiracy against the citizens of the world by the intelligence community of the United States. His words are carefully chosen and thoughtful, delivering a story that will connect with your intellect as well as your heart. I recommend this book to be placed in your permanent library as it marks a serious turning point in history into the Information Age.
    • 5/5
      Very well written. I couldnt put it down. Good arguments justifying his actions. A hero, not a traitor.
    • 5/5
      Well narrated and a good critique of today's Internet .
    • 5/5
      Very well written. Definitely tells the other side of this story. Highly recommend.
    • 5/5
      While the story was great, the narrator added much to it.
    • 5/5
      Everything about it was wonderful. Very insightful. The narrating was perfect as well.
    • 5/5
      This book is almost an apologetic for the intelligence community. I know he fell in the sword for Americans and the rest of the world so we’d know the extent of the spying. I had no idea the amount of respect he had for the IC when falling on the sword for them. They say nothing’s changed but I disagree. Now we know. And with all the countries now in this high tech spy game, the US stepped up. They abused power yes, and that’s a shame, but the tech is here and we have to get real about it if we’re going to use it. Encrypt and move on.
    • 5/5
      A great read, an eye opener or at least confirmation.
    • 5/5
      I only wish it were Snowden himself narrating this. Sad that I live in a country that is supposed to stand for truth and transparency until the truth is actually being heard. Thank you to Scrib'd for allowing us to have access to this.
    • 5/5
      Honest and competent, just like the author: Snowden's character comes across loud and clear through his writing. We all have blind spots, but I felt he managed to include the relevant parts of what happened in a way that as he described how he did what he did he was also explaining why, not in a defensive way (although in some portions you could still hear his disgust and anger in between the lines), but in an orderly and well written manner. He is a gifted and principled human being.