Spies Lies and Algorithms

<p><b>A riveting account of espionage for the digital age from one of America&#146;s leading intelligence experts</b><br><br>Spying has never been more ubiquitous&#151;or less understood. The world is drowning in spy movies TV shows and novels but universities offer more courses on rock and roll than on the CIA and there are more congressional experts on powdered milk than espionage. This crisis in intelligence education is distorting public opinion fueling conspiracy theories and hurting intelligence policy. In <i>Spies Lies and Algorithms</i> Amy Zegart separates fact from fiction as she offers an engaging and enlightening account of the past present and future of American espionage as it faces a revolution driven by digital technology.<br><br>Drawing on decades of research and hundreds of interviews with intelligence officials Zegart provides a history of U.S. espionage from George Washington&#146;s Revolutionary War spies to today&#146;s spy satellites; examines how fictional spies are influencing real officials; gives an overview of intelligence basics and life inside America&#146;s intelligence agencies; explains the deadly cognitive biases that can mislead analysts; and explores the vexed issues of traitors covert action and congressional oversight. Most of all Zegart describes how technology is empowering new enemies and opportunities and creating powerful new players such as private citizens who are successfully tracking nuclear threats using little more than Google Earth. And she shows why cyberspace is in many ways the ultimate cloak-and-dagger battleground where nefarious actors employ deception subterfuge and advanced technology for theft espionage and information warfare.<br><br>A fascinating and revealing account of espionage for the digital age <i>Spies Lies and Algorithms</i> is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the reality of spying today.</p>