book review: Snowden by Ted Rall

The basics: Snowden is a graphic biography of Edward Snowden. Rall traces his life from birth to both understand why he chose to become a whistle blower and to shed light on what our government knows about us and how.

My thoughts: I thought I had followed the story of Edward Snowden pretty carefully, but I find both him and his actions, as well as the repercussions, fascinating. I wasn't sure how much I would learn from Snowden, but I actually learned quite a lot. This book is a nice reminder that following something in real time is quite different from taking a step back, understanding the layers of context, and trying to see the bigger picture. Snowden provides that big picture beautifully, but it's also a gripping tale that reads like fiction.

I didn't expect Snowden to be such a page-turner, but I was instantly hooked. Rall chooses his words carefully, and he uses art to powerfully tell this story. The absence of words makes those that appear more powerful, and my eye would linger on single sentences. More than once, I found myself saying "really?!" out loud. More than once I was wowed, and I found myself stopping to ponder before picking the book up again. I still managed to read it in a day, and I'm so glad I did.

The verdict: Snowden is both informative and thought provoking. It offers keen insights into Snowden, both personally and professionally. It's also raises powerful ideas about what government should look like. This book will entertain you and make you think, which is a perfect combination.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: August 25, 2015
Source: library

Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Snowden from Amazon (Kindle edition.)

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