Social Media is a Battlefield: Review of LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media

LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media by P.W. Singer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When it first launched, Facebook and other social media was seen as a cool, if benign, piece of technology that the internet had made possible. After the the 2016 election, the public was made aware of how social media could be used as a tool to manipulate an election, a very unsettling development. However, as the authors of this jaw-dropping book make clear, social media is not just some tool to keep in touch with friends any more. Social media is a new battlefront in both cyber warfare and traditional warfare. What happens online cannot only sway elections, it can also get people killed.

Starting with an introduction noting the different and unique ways social media has been used in recent years, such as ISIS's use of it as they were invading Mosul and Donald Trump's use of Twitter before and during his presidency, the authors show how social media has become a new battlefield. And what happens online can have deadly consequences in real life. One of the more shocking stories they relate is how gangs in America have been "cyber tagging" people's online profiles and then killing those people in real life. Online beefs are leading to bodies in the street in America and elsewhere. There are many more stories they relate about the dangers of this new battlefield, but I do not want to spoil this book any more than I have.

The book is not all bleak though. The authors note how cyber activists and the military have been using social media to combat terrorism and gather intelligence. One uplifting story is about how cyber activists combed social media to determine that it was Russian forces that shot down MH17 over Ukraine in 2014. So, for the old internet enthusiasts, there is hope that the internet can still be used for more than nefarious purposes.

But the authors never want the readers to forget that the internet and social media have left their adolescence and it is up to us and our elected leaders to determine what the internet will be moving forward. Will it continue to be the free-wheeling wild west sphere it has been, or will regulation become necessary? That's what the debate is at this point. For anyone who is concerned about the power of social media and its misuse by bad actors and authoritarian regimes, this is the first book you should read.

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Twists and Turns: A Review of The Brightest Fell

The Brightest Fell by Nupur Chowdhury

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Note: I received an e-book ARC of this book from the author. The views written in this review are my own and do not reflect that of the author or publisher.)

If you're a country that has just pulled itself out of a devastating civil war with a fragile peace, what would you do to maintain that peace? And if your a scientist that has possibly developed the answer through the use of a wonder drug that isn't quite ready yet, what would you do to protect it? This is the basic set up for this taut sci-fi political thriller.

Set in the fictional nation of Naijan, Jehan Fasih is a brilliant scientist that has developed a drug that can either curb violent tendencies in a population, thus significantly reducing violent crimes in a country just coming out of a civil war, or make people compliant. Fasih wants to keep this project out of the wrong hands and bloodlessly seizes the reins of power in his country to ensure that. But the family he betrayed and disgraced will not forget what has been done to them so easily. Thus the stage is set for a wonderful sci-fi political thriller.

The story is top-notch as the author weaves a very good plot through many twists and turns. At the same time, each of the main characters have their own personal reasons for doing the things that they do, so it feels like there are real stakes involved with each characters' decision. While this book is a little exposition heavy, there are moments of pure action that break up all the talking just enough to keep the story from being weighed down. Sometimes, I really didn't want to put this book down.

For those of you who like a like political thrillers a la James Patterson or a sci-fi lite read, I would highly recommend this book.

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Fear of the "Other": A Review of They Called Us Enemy

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in 1941 shook many Americans to their core. Never before had the country been attacked in such a devastating way and people were afraid. Out of that fear was borne one of the countries darkest mistakes, the internment of thousands of people Japanese descent, most of them American citizens. While the U.S. government has apologized and paid reparations to internees, it is too easy to forget how fear can drive a country to do terrible things to its own citizens. This graphic novel co-written by George Takei, the famous actor and activist, about his own experience in an American internment camp is a necessary read.

Set mostly in the 1940s, but also flashing forward into Mr. Takei's life, this book will feel very familiar to anyone who has read the March graphic novels. The artwork is smoothly drawn compared to some of the harsher lines of March, but like March the artwork is entirely black and white. At times, the black and white is a good thing, but I would've preferred this book with more color in a lot of different places. Still, for both young and old readers, the art does not get in the way of telling the story, so the smooth drawings and colors make this work.

While most of the story rightfully focuses on Mr. Takei's time in the camps with his family, as I mentioned before, it does flash forward to the present and other moments in Mr. Takei's life and career. Most of the time, this works very well, but every now and then there was a one-panel flash forward that broke the narrative and felt out of place. Most of the time, though, the flash forwards work quite effectively in showing Mr. Takei reflecting in the present what happened to him and his family in the past and how it impacted his whole life's trajectory.

As the country currently goes through a period of fear of the other, graphic novels like this one are incredibly important in warning us about not making the making the same mistakes again. Fear should not override our desire to love our neighbor and protect their rights and liberties. I highly recommend this book to fans of March, graphic novels, and Mr. Takei's life and work.

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