Information Processing

This exhilarating collection of essays, interviews, and correspondence—spanning the years 1988 through 2018, and reaching back a decade more—is about the simple concept that ideas matter. They mutate, inform, create fuel for thought, and inspire actions. As Kelman says, the State relies on our suffocation, that we cannot hope to learn the truth. But whether we can or not is beside the point. We must grasp the nettle, we assume control and go forward.

Behind the familiar surfaces of the telephone, radio, and television lies a sophisticated and intriguing body of knowledge known as information theory. This is the theory that has permitted the rapid development of all sorts of communication, from color television to the clear transmission of photographs from the vicinity of Jupiter. Even more revolutionary progress is expected in the future.

In the summer of 1941, Hitler ruled Europe from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. Britain was struggling to combat his powerful propaganda machine, crowing victory and smearing his enemies as liars and manipulators over his frequent radio speeches, blasted out on loudspeakers and into homes. British claims that Hitler was dangerous had little impact against this wave of disinformation. Except for the broadcasts of someone called Der Chef, a German who questioned Nazi doctrine, and most importantly, a character created by the British propagandist Thomas Sefton Delmer, a unique weapon in the war.

During the final three years of the Obama administration, Richard Stengel, the former editor of Time magazine and an Under Secretary of State, was the single person in government tasked with unpacking, disproving, and combating both ISIS's messaging and Russian disinformation. Then, in 2016, as the presidential election unfolded, Stengel watched as Donald Trump used disinformation himself, weaponizing the grievances of Americans who felt overlooked. In fact, Stengel quickly came to see how all three players had used the same playbook: ISIS sought to make Islam great again....

In the summer of 1941, Hitler ruled Europe from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. Britain was struggling to combat the powerful Nazi propaganda machine, which crowed victory and smeared its enemies. But inside Germany, there was one notable voice of dissent from the very heart of the military machine, Der Chef, a German whose radio broadcasts skilfully questioned Nazi doctrine. But what these audiences didn't know was that Der Chef was a fiction, a character created by the British propagandist Sefton Delmer.

One of the least understood countries in the world, North Korea has long been known for its repressive regime. Yet it is far from being an impenetrable black box. Media flows covertly into the country, and fault lines are appearing in the government's sealed informational borders. Drawing on deeply personal interviews with North Korean defectors from all walks of life, ranging from propaganda artists to diplomats, Jieun Baek tells the story of North Korea's information underground.

We live in the age of disinformation - of organized deception. Spy agencies pour vast resources into hacking, leaking, and forging data, often with the goal of weakening the very foundation of liberal democracy: trust in facts. Thomas Rid, a renowned expert on technology and national security, was one of the first to sound the alarm, even before the 2016 election. But this is not new. The story of modern disinformation begins with the clash between communism and capitalism after the Russian Revolution.

In Words Like Loaded Pistols, Sam Leith traces the art of argument from ancient Greece down to its many modern mutations. He introduces verbal villains from Hitler to Richard Nixon—and the three musketeers: ethos, pathos and logos. He explains how rhetoric works in speeches from Cicero to Obama, and pays tribute to the rhetorical brilliance of AC/DC's "Back In Black". Before you know it, you'll be confident in chiasmus and proud of your panegyrics—because rhetoric is useful, relevant, and absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

One of the most peculiar and possibly unique features of humans is the vast amount of information we carry outside our biological selves. But in our rush to build the infrastructure for the 20 quintillion bits we create every day, we’ve failed to ask exactly why we’re expending ever-increasing amounts of energy, resources, and human effort to maintain all this data. Drawing on deep ideas and frontier thinking in evolutionary biology, computer science, information theory, and astrobiology, Caleb Scharf argues that information is, in a very real sense, alive - an aggregate lifeform.

The AHIMA Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam is an entry-level credential for individuals looking to start a career in medical coding. Conquer the AHIMA CCA Exam: Your Concise Guide to Entry-Level Medical Coding Certification and Becoming a Certified Coding Associate serves as a focused study resource that highlights key coding principles, healthcare compliance, and reimbursement methodologies. This guide provides clear, concise explanations of ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS Level II coding, as well as topics such as health information management, medical terminology, and modifier usage. This...

Are you overwhelmed trying to determine how to get into your dream school? This book was created by a mom of six after helping her oldest children get into elite colleges. This book takes you step-by-step through the college application process. This book saves you days of research trying to figure out what you need to have for college apps. Everything you need to know is laid out in an easy to follow format designed to help you through all the steps. Make getting into college stress free! This ebook gives you: Information you need to track each year in high school Testing timeline Tips on ...

ISO 27001 Documentation KIT for Certification All Templates for Processes, Procedures, Work Instructions & Forms to Build a Fully Compliant ISMS Introduction: The ISO 27001 Documentation KIT is your ultimate solution for creating and maintaining a fully compliant Information Security Management System (ISMS). This all-in-one kit includes editable templates for processes, procedures, work instructions, forms, and logs—all aligned with ISO 27001 standards to streamline your certification process. Benefits: Complete Solution: All necessary templates for a compliant ISMS. Time-Saving: Ready-...

Do you find it difficult to see the big picture sometimes? Can that lead to you making dangerous assumptions? Do you want to be able to eliminate this from your decision making? We all make assumptions, usually based on incomplete evidence of something, and often without realizing we are doing so. This can mean we can fall into mental traps which can have all sorts of consequences. In this book, Trapped by Assumptions: How to Break Mental Traps and Keep Your Mind Sharp, Dr Chong Chen examines why we make assumptions and how this can be avoided, with in-depth chapters on: Confirmation biases...

In this courageous and unflinching book, award-winning journalist Jessikka Aro interweaves her own dramatic story as a target of Russian social media propaganda with accounts from many internationally known critics of the Kremlin, who share their own stories of being targeted by Russia’s multifaceted cyber warfare campaigns.

"Master Your Decisions" examines the intricate decision-making process, drawing from personal anecdotes and psychological insights to offer readers practical strategies for navigating life's choices. The book begins with a relatable story of a monkey struggling to let go of its groundnuts in exchange for a banana, symbolizing how humans often resist change, even when it could benefit them. Through this engaging analogy, the author sets the tone for exploring human tendencies to hold on to past patterns—whether emotional, physical, or behavioral—and the consequences this has on our ...

When you hear the word "diet", what comes to mind? Keto, low-carb, low-fat, paleo, vegetarian - the list goes on and on. With dozens of options available, it can seem nearly impossible to choose the right diet for you. Eating paleo has become more and more popular as thousands of people discover the transformative effects a whole-food-based diet can have on their health.

Online disinformation stormed our political process in 2016 and has only worsened since. Yet as Samuel Woolley shows in this urgent book, it may pale in comparison to what's to come: humanlike automated voice systems, machine learning, "deepfake" AI-edited videos and images, interactive memes, virtual reality, and more. These technologies have the power not just to manipulate our politics, but to make us doubt our eyes and ears and even feelings. Deeply researched and compellingly written, The Reality Game describes the profound impact these technologies will have on our lives.

Written by a former election campaign consultant for a major political party, How to Win an Indian Election takes listeners into the forbidden world of election war-rooms and gives them a glimpse of how strategy is formulated, what works with voters on the ground and what doesn't. Based on research, interviews and the author's own experiences, this book is invaluable for its insight into the inner workings of politics, political parties and what really makes for a winning election campaign.

Democracies are being gamed. Authoritarian governments, moneyed elites and fringe hackers are exploiting our digital infrastructure and the vulnerabilities in our democratic system to influence our politics and elections. In just a few years, it has become a perpetual information war. Inherently unstable and prone to wild volatility, our digital ecosystem has at its heart a vacuum open to the influence of those with the motivation, money or expertise to exploit it. Played successfully it can lead to unprecedented swings of public opinion.

Unlock your potential as a cybersecurity professional with "Conquer the GPEN Exam: Your Guide to Success as a GIAC Penetration Tester." This streamlined study guide provides a foundational overview to help you prepare for the GPEN certification and understand the essentials of penetration testing. Designed as a starting point, this guide focuses on key concepts, tools, and methodologies crucial for identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities. Gain insights into the penetration testing process, including planning, reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, and post-exploitation phases. ...