Snowden

As many as 1.4 million citizens with security clearance saw some or all of the same documents that would later be leaked by Edward Snowden. Why did he, and no one else, decide to step forward and take on the risks associated with becoming a whistleblower and then a fugitive? To address this question, Rall delves into Snowden's early life and work experience, his personality, and the larger issues of privacy, new surveillance technologies, and government intrusion. He describes Snowden's political vision and hopes for the future. In a way, this is a book that tells two stories: Snowden's own, and also a larger one in which we all find ourselves on the threshold of tremendous technological upheaval and political change.

Snowden is a portrait of a brave young man standing up to the most powerful government in the world and, if not winning, at least reaching a stand-off. It's an invitation to us all to measure our courage and listen to our consciences in asking ourselves what we might have done in his shoes.