mini-review: The Electronic Privacy Papers

[David HM Spector <spector@zeitgeist.com>]

This has got to be the "Book of the Year"...If you only read one book
before the end of the year, or even one book ALL of next year, this is
the book you MUST read:

		    The Electronic Privacy Papers
		  by Bruce Schneier and David Banisar
	  Wiley Computer Publishing/John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
			 ISBN: 0-471-12297-1

I just got it this morning, and cruised though the first chapters (I'm
a fast reader...) and its positively explosive.

The book consists of information gleaned from public sources and pried
out of the Government via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and
logically takes the reader through a chronological history of
government surveillance and public reactions to it.

Schneier and Banisar examine the arguments for and against state
surveillance and how these policies are formulated and how (from my
reading so far) they are often implemented with little or no public
discussion or input by agencies that seem to deeply distrust and
dislike the lawmaking process and constitutional protections that are
supposed to protect Americans from overzealous agents and Government
abuse.

Positively riveting....

For you Amazon.com junkies, here's the URL:

   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ats-query/9615-8912043-502933

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David HM Spector                                          spector@zeitgeist.com
	         Network Design & Infrastructure Security