'efekt niszczący' and reset

“in light of the current situation” following polish presidential elections (and the sloppy government reaction to proven anomalies in the voting system), I decided to put aside some non-essential activities and dive back into reading—this time on topics that are a bit more political and social.

I can wholeheartedly recommend both of these books. let’s start with Destructive Effect – Anna Mierzyńska does a fantastic job presenting how disinformation basically knocks us flat. the examples are well-chosen, thoroughly documented, and clearly explained — it’s practically a handbook for dealing with misinformation that’s flooding us every day. if you have family members who easily fall for stuff they “heard on social media”, show them this book. and, of course, read it yourself — it’s really worth it.

Reset: The High Cost of Surveillance Capitalism by Ronald J. Deibert is a bit of a different read. written by the founder of Citizen Lab, this book explores how we’ve ended up neck-deep in the mess of digital “omnipresence”. the gadgets that are supposed to help us (your “smart” phone for starters) are actually tying us down — exactly where the rich elites, spies, or greedy corporate overlords (that typically lack moral compass… and other things) want us. it’s a darker, unsettling read — especially for those of you unaware of how modern tech works and just how easily it can be used to compromise our privacy completely.

I’ve got more books in this area lined up — to be documented soon. in the meantime — definitely recommend these two!