This book is a wake-up call wrapped in a history lesson—one that’s equal parts fascinating and terrifying. If you’ve ever shrugged off privacy concerns with "I have nothing to hide," this book will make you rethink that stance. Hartmann meticulously traces how surveillance—both corporate and governmental—has infiltrated every corner of our lives, often without us realizing it.

Hartmann connects the dots between historical surveillance (think J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI or the Patriot Act) and today’s tech-driven dystopia, where algorithms predict our behavior, social media manipulates our emotions, and data brokers sell our identities to the highest bidder. The book is packed with vivid examples—like how Facebook’s data was weaponized during elections or how police use facial recognition to target marginalized communities. Hartmann also doesn’t just doomscroll; he offers concrete solutions, from legal reforms to personal actions we can take to reclaim our digital autonomy.

Some readers might find Hartmann’s progressive lens heavy-handed (he’s not shy about critiquing conservatives or Silicon Valley giants). And while his warnings are compelling, tech-savvy readers might crave deeper technical analysis—this isn’t a hacker’s guide to encryption, but a broad-strokes overview for the general public. Whether you’re a privacy skeptic or already paranoid, this book is a must-read. It’s not just about "Big Brother watching"—it’s about who profits from that surveillance, who gets hurt, and how we can fight back. Hartmann’s writing is accessible, his research is solid, and his message is urgent: **Privacy isn’t dead yet, but it’s on life support—and we’re the only ones who can save it.**

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This is the first book I have read from Thom Hartmann and I am hooked and want to read more of his books because The Hidden History of Big Brother in America was on point. It is a warning of not what can come but what is happening currently, and I think A.I. will add to this Big Brother in America concerns. The information is interesting, alarming, and makes you aware of the times that we live in and how important checking the policies being voted on by the officials we vote into an office can be. I have already told at least three people to check out this book because it is very well written and I will continue to recommend it because it's that good.

It was okay. I didn’t really care for it myself. I believe a lot of subjects written about were untrue. I believe instead of trying to get at the truth, the author is writing on his opinions on things and believing the wrong people on these issues. However, on the subject of “Big Brother” , yes, I believe Big Tech is messing with our privacy and freedoms and we should get a say in it, especially if they share our data or put our information online for everyone to see. Thank you to #NetGalley and the producers and the author for the opportunity to read and review #TheHiddenHistoryofBigBrotherinAmerica with my honest thoughts and opinions.