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Permanent Record  By  cover art

Permanent Record

By: Edward Snowden
Narrated by: Holter Graham
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Publisher's summary

An NPR Best Book of the Year - 2019

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, 29-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.

©2019 Edward Snowden (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

What listeners say about Permanent Record

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Stunning!

I'm listening to it again!
Amazing trip back to the 80s! And beyond! Great read!

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4 people found this helpful

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Great Book!

So glad Edward Snowden took the time to tell his story in his own words! A griping and insightful read. Highly recommended!

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Revealing

This is something to be remembered by all who read/listen to it, you and I will remember this man's words in the years to come, when technology will reach a new state.

Mister Snowden, I shall certainly remember, as I sit at my computer this morning, arriving at work, finishing this book seemed like a necessary step for my development, thank you!

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A necessity to be an informed citizen

The subject says it all. But if you need more.... did you know you're being tracked? Yes, even the act of reading this review....

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Anyone who cares about their privacy should read

This is a fantastic book. You can tell that Snowden isn't your typical whistleblower. He genuinely cares for America and felt that what the NSA was doing was hurting everyone. I highly recommend this book!

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Thank you for your service

The narration was good

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This book goes into much detail about his life before and after the events that led him to be famous. It was a book I couldn't stop listening to.

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A must read for every American

An excellent account of exposure of govt overreach. I really enjoyed listening to the way Snowden humbly approached a Goliath of a situation.

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Great listen with in-depth analysis

Amazing dive into the genesis of the events which unraveled. Snowden breaks down piece by piece how he became alert (woke) of the injustices which had to be exposed.

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State must admit its lies and begin serving people again

Until Edward Snowden is given the right for a fair public trial our privacy and freedom is under threat of being oppressed by other secret government programs

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Very well written and easily digestible.

Also the saddest book I think I’ve ever read. This man is more a patriot than our country had produced in 100 years.

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