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This Machine Kills Secrets: How Wikileakers, Cypherpunks, and Hacktivists Aim to Free the World's Information Audiobook
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(4.00) - 119 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The machine that kills secrets is a powerful cryptographic code that hides the identities of leakers and hacktivists as they spill the private files of government agencies and corporations bringing us into a new age of whistle blowing. With unrivaled access to figures like Julian Assange, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, and Jacob Applebaum, investigative journalist Andy Greenberg unveils the group that brought the world WikiLeaks, OpenLeaks, and BalkanLeaks.
This powerful technology has been evolving for decades in the hands of hackers and radical activists, from the libertarian enclaves of Northern California to Berlin to the Balkans. And the secret-killing machine continues to evolve beyond WikiLeaks, as a movement of hacktivists aims to obliterate the world's institutional secrecy. Never have the seemingly powerless had so much power to disembowel big corporations and big government.
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"Given the title, I was pleasantly surprised by how even-handed the author was in covering both the positives and negatives of a leaky society. From clear benefits to freedom of information in places like Bulgaria, to internet pissing contests, this account has a little of everything."
— Jennifer (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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With complete access to many of the key hackers and leakers, Greenberg delves eloquently into the magicians of the all-powerful technology that shatters the confidentiality of any and all state secrets while tapping into issues of personal privacy.
— Publishers Weekly -
“Computer hackers haven’t been made into heroes like this since Stieg Larsson created Lisbeth Salander—and luckily Greenberg shares a bit of Larsson’s flair for suspense, too.”
— Slate -
“Greenberg delves eloquently into the magicians of the all-powerful technology that shatters the confidentiality of any and all state secrets while tapping into issues of personal privacy.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“While lawmakers and law enforcers struggle with the philosophy and practicality of these issues, the people Greenberg profiles have made up their minds, and they are a few steps ahead. If you’re wondering who they are and why they feel so strongly, look no further than this book.”
— New Scientist -
“A must-read for those seeking to understand the decades-long struggle between openness and secrecy, anonymity and attribution—and why that might be the most important struggle of the modern era. Meticulously researched, Greenberg provides first-hand accounts of the eccentric pioneers who are coding around censorship, repression, and even traditional law. He also captures the relentless distributed nature of the movement that’s powering it all.”
— Daniel Suarez, author of Daemon -
“This is the story of a revolution in societal transparency. It’s an expose of the characters who have put secrets in peril. For those that seek transparency, it’s riveting tale. For those who must keep secrets, be warned: This book holds up a mirror to your worst fears.”
— Hugh Thompson, adjunct professor of computer science, Columbia University
This Machine Kills Secrets Listener Reviews
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" good narrative. flip- flops between stories often, and that's unique but a bit boring. overall great read. reccommended. "
— Noah, 12/28/2013 -
" Filled in a lot of blanks. ( Haven't seen the term ' sussing out ' in print for a long time , page 205 ) "
— BAKU, 11/18/2013 -
" This is one of the few books I had a hard time putting down. "
— Kent, 9/20/2013 -
" Andy gives us a behind the scenes look at the implosion of wikileaks and the intriguing history of leaks and whistle-blowers. A must read for anyone interested in the darker side of the internet and how it can be used to spread transparency and chaos. "
— Justin, 9/5/2013 -
" Very interesting read. It pretty much demonizes Assange, while at the same time giving some appreciation for the technical culture we are already living in. "
— John, 8/31/2013 -
" Interesting journalism piece on the history of WikiLeaks and the technologies around anonymous whistle-blowing in the technology age. "
— Greg, 6/1/2013 -
" I enjoyed it but wished Mr. Greenberg would have taken more risk. "
— Rafael, 2/27/2013 -
" this was an interesting profile of nerds being nerds "
— Larry, 2/5/2013 -
" Very cool. The closest we'll ever see to super villains living inside hollowed-out volcanos. Scary and fascinating. "
— Sam, 1/24/2013 -
" A good read. Focused primarily on wikileaks, but going back to the Pentagon Papers and speculating about the future. An interesting look at the technology, people, politics, etc.. "
— Matt, 11/1/2012
About Andy Greenberg
Andy Greenberg is an award-winning senior writer for Wired magazine, where he covers security, privacy, information freedom, and hacker culture. He is the author of the 2019 book Sandworm, which won a Gerald Loeb Award for International Reporting, a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, two Deadline Club Awards from the New York Society of Professional Journalists, and the Cornelius Ryan Citation for Excellence from the Overseas Press Club.
About Mike Chamberlain
Mike Chamberlain is an actor and voice-over performer in Los Angeles whose audiobook narration has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards. His voice credits range from radio commercials and television narration to animation and video game characters. Stage trained at Boston College, he has performed works from Shakespeare and the classics to contemporary drama and comedy.