Permanent Record: A Memoir of a Reluctant Whistleblower

Let us first settle something about me with regards to this book. I was very conflicted with Snowden's actions when first reported. This is because I have always been very concerned about privacy and believe strongly in the need for individual's who are in the know, to shine a light on the darkest areas of government. (Any government, not just the USA). But I also, am strongly, concerned with national security and national interests AND the need to uphold your oath of office, and the IMPLIED meaning of that oath too. Snowden does a good job of both explaining and justifying his actions, as well as detailing the chain of events that are involved in this real life drama. Having served in the military myself, I realize that the oath of office is to the constitution and specifically, the American people it represents, NOT to an organization or individual, or indeed the government of the country. In all honesty, if I was in such a situation as Snowden was/is, I do not know if I would have had the courage to lose everything, in such a manner. This is after all not what they teach you in class for civic duty, or in the scouts or in the military, nor is it the traditional view/idea of what a person of courage should do. But is EXACTLY what is needed for our civil society to survive, we need the 4th estate and people like Snowden are part of that. This is still not necessarily the type of action I would approve, in a military situation, and by extension in the intelligence community, but again, having read and heard Snowden's reasoning and situation, I can at least honestly say that it gives me pause, and makes me think, about what is truly a patriot. Yet, I am still very uneasy about this in so many ways. I do suggest this as a read, especially if you are against Snowden or his actions, but also if you are for him, if only so you can get a good grasp of what his actions meant/means, because you might be surprised about your preconceived biases

Fantastic read with out the sacrifice that the entity known as Edward Snowdon Phil g Mark Poole made we would be living in a completely different world right now thank you for your service to humanity the truth will always out

Well written. The guy's not a spy. He's a tech guy caught in a real moral dilemma. I wouldn't personally have done what he did but reading his book gives you a thorough understanding of both what he did and why.

Permanent Record by Edward Snowden is an extraordinary memoir that offers a firsthand account of one of the most significant whistleblowing events in modern history. Snowden takes readers through his early life, his time working within the U.S. intelligence community, and the moral dilemma that ultimately led him to expose mass government surveillance. The book is written in a compelling, personal style, making complex topics accessible even for those unfamiliar with cybersecurity or government surveillance. Beyond the technical details, it’s a deeply human story—one about ethics, courage, and the cost of standing up for what you believe is right. Regardless of where you stand on Snowden’s actions, this book is an essential read for anyone interested in privacy, government transparency, or the power of individual conscience. Highly recommended!

Excellent read thoroughly enjoyed the book currently sits on my bookshelf along with ghost in the wires.

This book chronicles the life of Mr. Snowden, pact with raw emotion. Let go of any preconceived notions prior to reading this book. Ed dives deep and personal with this book laying out his youth, career and newfound life as a fugitive from the country he still holds with so much love for. The tone throughout the book portrays the different stages Edward went through, from joyful intrigue as a child to sheer shock as an adult. There is something quite raw and untouched about this book, which really enables Ed Snowden to showcase the key pivotal stages that led to his decisions later in life. For any person to choose to leave their family, friends, loved ones and country solely on the basis of taking the moral high ground, this book dives deep, leaving the reader with an appreciation of the courage and strength Edward faced and still continues to deal with. Later in the book, the reader also gets to see snippets from his wife's personal diary which she agreed to add in, showing the tactics used by the government to track and spy on her whilst Edward was on the run. Regardless of any preconceived beliefs on the choices made by Mr Snowden, his words do a wonderful job of cutting past emotional dogma getting straight to the facts and letting the reader decide afterword if the actions Snowden took were right and lawful, for the sake of the nations future. Lastly, he touches of technical information in just the right amount, offering clear explanations whilst not reading like a book dedicated to modems or programming languages. Some reviewers have stated that he spends too much time on these technical points but it is this core foundation which he builds upon in later chapters. Reading this book is a learning journey as much as an night time novel, slow the pace when reading this book to really uncover the underlying questions Edward is trying to probe all of us to seek. Permanent Record is a wonderful book, quite possibly an iconic book which will be cited for years to come.

This book is written as an adventure, it takes you throug the events and experiences that lead to the couragous act of exposing our worlds worst disease. It is an comprehensive page turner.

An absolute must read for anyone who is open minded and loves a mystery, I love this so much I've bought a Hardcover to keep in my own personal library. We all know now after reading this book or listening to the Audio. That our media can be got at, at anytime, anywhere and even places you would think you are protected. So go read or listen to Permanent Record, it's worth the time. I listen to Glen Greenwalds book first so this was just icying on the Cake, but it doen't matter which order you read them, it's a must to read Both Glens "No Where to Hide" and this book "Permanent Record".

In this book Snowden gives a lot of details about his time at IC, his relation with Lindsay, family and so forth. There is also great details about his roles at IC. One of the best biographies I did read.

I like this book because you have to be so brave based in human rights values to write against the so called the most powerful country of the world, the USA. And he is American! Love his ‘forced’ written autobiography ( he hated since young to write about himself).

A really interesting read and many parts of this story I didn't know. It goes into much more detail than the film 'Snowden' so I recommend you reading it even if you've seen the film.