WIJFR: Little Brother

closeHey, just so you know ... this post is now about 15 years old. Please keep that in mind as it very well may contain broken links and/or outdated information.

Seventeen-year-old techno-geek “w1n5t0n” (aka Marcus) bypasses the school’s gait-recognition system by placing pebbles in his shoes, chats secretly with friends on his IMParanoid messaging program, and routinely evades school security with his laptop, cell, WifFnder, and ingenuity. While skipping school, Marcus is caught near the site of a terrorist attack on San Francisco and held by the Department of Homeland Security for six days of intensive interrogation. After his release, he vows to use his skills to fight back against an increasingly frightening system of surveillance.

I always keep something to read on my Treo for those times I have a few spare minutes and need something to do (shopping with the wife, stuck in traffic, etc.). The latest book I was e-reading (and just finished) was Cory Doctorow’s “Little Brother.” While touted as a “young adult/teen” novel I think it’s a good read for anyone with an interest in technology, security, privacy, and the role of the government in those areas in these post 9-11 times.

If you want to read a bit more about Doctorow and “Little Brother” check out this Guardian article from last year.

I just put Cory’s short story collection “A Place So Foreign and Eight More” on my Treo so I’ll have some more to read going forward.

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