Review — This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends

Nicole Perlroth’s book “This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends” is, in a word, awesome! She covered the cyber security beat for years at the New York Times and cashes in all that experience to bring us a book that is not only detailed but easy to read. This book is basically where we are right now in cyber space. The players, the history, the possibilities given what we have seen to this point and where we could possibly end up.

Perlroth dives deeper in this book than her colleague at the Times David Sanger did in his cyber security book ‘The Perfect Weapon.’ For instance, the chapter on Stuxnet was off the charts. Some real in-depth reporting that was put together brilliantly. It was one of those chapters read in a book every so often where you are impressed, proud and scared to death at the same time about what the author is describing.

She covers all the players and gives you a solid history of how the US got to where it is in now with zero day exploits. From the hacking of an electric typewriter in the US Embassy in Russia to Google’s efforts to beat back Chinese hackers. She does an eloquent job to telling all of their stories.

It’s not all wine and roses though. I must admit that the introduction was a little long winded for me especially since it is a story, that if you read about the topic at all, you have heard before. Maybe not in such great detail but you’ve heard none the less. She could have done a better job of streaming lining this section.

If you have any interest in cybersecurity, cyber attacks, or you’re just smart and want to read a very timely and important book than this is it.