The Hidden History of Big Brother in America: How the Death of Privacy and the Rise of Surveillance Threaten Us and Our Democracy

America's most popular progressive radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann reveals how the government and corporate America misuse our personal data and shows how we can reclaim our privacy.

Most Americans are worried about how companies like Facebook invade their privacy and harvest their data, but many people don't fully understand the details of how their information is being adapted and misused. In this thought-provoking and accessible book, Thom Hartmann reveals exactly how the government and corporations are tracking our every online move and using our data to buy elections, employ social control, and monetize our lives.

Hartmann uses extensive, vivid examples to highlight the consequences of Big Data on all aspects of our lives. He traces the history of surveillance and social control, looking back to how Big Brother invented whiteness to keep order and how surveillance began to be employed as a way to modify behavior. As he states, "The goal of those who violate privacy and use surveillance is almost always social control and behavior modification."

Along with covering the history, Hartmann shows how we got to where we are today, how China--with its new Social Credit System--serves as a warning, and how we can and must avoid a similarly dystopian future. By delving into the Constitutional right to privacy, Hartmann reminds us of our civil right and shows how we can restore it.

Author: Thom Hartmann
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Published: 03/08/2022
Pages: 184
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.20lbs
Size: 7.50h x 5.50w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781523001026


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 01/01/2022 pg. 20

About the Author
Thom Hartmann is a progressive nationally and internationally syndicated talk show host. Talkers Magazine named him America's #1 most important progressive host and the host of one of the top ten talk radio shows in the country every year for more than a decade. A four-time recipient of the Project Censored Award, Hartmann is also a New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three books[editor1], translated into multiple languages. He was born in Michigan and retains strong ties to the Midwest, although he has lived in many regions. He now lives on the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon.