Off Topic But on the Fourth...

I never, ever recommend books off the topic of needlework on my blog, but I'm breaking my rule today. My companion gave me this book a couple of weeks ago. It's a quick read, and the level is about high school.

So why am I recommending this book and breaking my silence on all things remotely political? Because I want people to be aware of how electronic surveillance works. Read it. Get your kids to read it - especially your kids. They are deeper into the world of technology than most adults. The book goes overboard on a lot of its applications of surveillance in the interest of exposing the kinds of surveillance currently available and in the interest of writing a good story. It strings together individual incidents into a large web of intent, something I have a hard time believing. On the other hand, the means are there for what is portrayed in the book.

Our founding fathers believed in both the security of each of us as individuals and of our country. This book will help you understand what giving up individual freedoms can cost. It will help you draw the line in your mind as to what liberties you want to give up, if you want to give them up, and what could possibly happen.

Happy Independence Day. It means a lot more to me today, after my trip, than it did before.