Thaddeus E. Grugq
Security Researcher :: Cultural Attaché :: grugq@comae.com :: PGP https://t.co/jgjIg4pBJe :: Не верь, не бойся, не проси :: you can’t fight a meme with an exploit
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“@0xdea @caseyjohnellis @essobi @sawaba Here is a great book on systems. https://t.co/dDmQXnMzBD Everything is a system. This is one of the better books written about how systems “work” … e.g. >> IN A CLOSED SYSTEM, INFORMATION TENDS TO DECREASE AND HALLUCINATION TENDS TO INCREASE” (from X)
Book is in Good condition
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“This is a great book. https://t.co/fcW9D9e5EC” (from X)
“This book is fast, furious, compelling, and angry as hell." -- Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author The Boys meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation in this smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet. Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy? As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured. And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one. So, of course, then she gets laid off. With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks. Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing. And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance. It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world. A sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics.
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“@0xabad1dea I love that book” (from X)
A gorgeous new hardcover edition that celebrates the 10th anniversary of Ann Leckie's bestselling and Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winning debut. Special features include a striking new cover and illustrated endpapers, a foil stamped case, and a new introduction from the author. From New York Times-bestselling and multi award-winning author Ann Leckie comes the first book in the masterful Imperial Radch series, in which a warship trapped in a human body is on a quest for revenge. On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren—a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance. "MIND-BLOWING." —io9.com "THRILLING, MOVING AND AWE-INSPIRING." —Guardian "UTTER PERFECTION, 10/10." —The Book Smugglers Imperial Radch trilogy Ancillary Justice Ancillary Sword Ancillary Mercy Stand alone Imperial Radch novels Provenance Translation State
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“The Social order of the Underworld: How prison gangs govern the American penal system Recommended. Great book. https://t.co/8j1VvVJ4Sh https://t.co/gd5jf8DaoL” (from X)
When most people think of prison gangs, they think of chaotic bands of violent, racist thugs. Few people think of gangs as sophisticated organizations (often with elaborate written constitutions) that regulate the prison black market, adjudicate conflicts, and strategically balance the competing demands of inmates, gang members, and correctional officers. Yet as David Skarbek argues, gangs form to create order among outlaws, producing alternative governance institutions to facilitate illegal activity. He uses economics to explore the secret world of the convict culture, inmate hierarchy, and prison gang politics, and to explain why prison gangs form, how formal institutions affect them, and why they have a powerful influence over crime even beyond prison walls. The ramifications of his findings extend far beyond the seemingly irrational and often tragic society of captives. They also illuminate how social and political order can emerge in conditions where the traditional institutions of governance do not exist.
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“@tobesrose @jonrlindsay @runasand @IntelNatSecJnl The book, Spec Ops: in theory and practice, is one of the best books on the theory of how hackers operate. The whole set of rules regarding speed, secrecy, well rehearsed behaviours, etc etc... that is how good hackers work.” (from X)
How can a small group of soldiers attack a numerically superior force in an entrenched position and hope to succeed? It may sound impossible, but this is what special operations is all about. Bill McRaven commands a team of SEALs, the U.S. Navy's elite special operations force. Accomplishing the seemingly impossible is the day-to-day business of McRaven and his SEALs and other special operators such as Green Berets, Britain's Special Air Service and Russia's Spetznaz. In SPEC OPS you learn the secrets of the trade: get on target fast and maintain relative superiority throughout the area of vulnerability. It worked for the Germans who clobbered the Belgians at Fort Eben Emael before they knew what hit them. It worked for the Israelis who dropped in at Entebbe and executed the perfect prisoner rescue. Special operations forces are able to beat the odds because their preparation, firepower, speed on target, and moral commitment give them the ultimate edge over their opponents. When you fight like this you almost can't lose.
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“@againsthimself I must reread that book, it is damn good.” (from X)
The definitive biography of the greatest cartoonist of the Greatest Generation. "The real war," said Walt Whitman, "will never get in the books." During World War II, the truest glimpse most Americans got of the "real war" came through the flashing black lines of twenty-two-year-old infantry sergeant Bill Mauldin. Week after week, Mauldin defied army censors, German artillery, and Patton's pledge to "throw his ass in jail" to deliver his wildly popular cartoon, "Up Front," to the pages of Stars and Stripes. "Up Front" featured the wise-cracking Willie and Joe, whose stooped shoulders, mud-soaked uniforms, and pidgin of army slang and slum dialect bore eloquent witness to the world of combat and the men who lived―and died―in it.This taut, lushly illustrated biography―the first of two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Mauldin―is illustrated with more than ninety classic Mauldin cartoons and rare photographs. It traces the improbable career and tumultuous private life of a charismatic genius who rose to fame on his motto: "If it's big, hit it." 92 illustrations
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“— English As She Is Spoke I love this book. It’s great. https://t.co/7VK57kym0l” (from X)
What happens when someone who doesn’t speak English attempts to write a Portuguese-English phrasebook? THIS is what happens."Nobody can add to the absurdity of this book, nobody can imitate it successfully, nobody can hope to produce its fellow; it is perfect.” – Mark Twain“[T]he second chapter is titled ‘Familiar Phrases,’ and features sentences intended to help the weary Portuguese traveler in everyday conversation. These phrases include classics like ‘He has spit in my coat’; ‘take that boy and whip him to much’; and the oft-used ‘these apricots and these peaches make me and to come water in mouth.’ – Tucker Leighty-Phillips, Atlas Obscura“[T]he book migrated to literary circles in London, where it became the Victorian equivalent of a viral video. Friends passed it to friends who giggled over — even then — unintentionally sexual phrases such as, ‘He do the devil at four.’ – Mike Drucker, Splitsider"Is there anything in conventional English which could equal the vividness of 'to craunch a marmoset'?” – Stephen Pile
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“This story of a guy memorising CCVs is awesome. there are plenty of tricks for learning to memorise strings of random characters quickly. This is one method, that... well, trigger warning. Book: Soldier Spy (it’s an ok read) https://t.co/zfcFiNKssf https://t.co/cGA7oCunlU” (from X)
In the boot were six homemade pipe bombs, all linked to detonate at the same time from a single call on a brand-new pay-as-you-go phone found on the target. Special Branch also found Chinese Type 56 assault rifles with eight full magazines full of ammunition. His target was a local school. He planned to attack two coaches of teenagers returning home after a school trip to France. Approximately sixty children, their accompanying teachers and their waiting parents. He was going to kill them all. 'My world was dark, no colour, no right or wrong and no back-up. People like me exist to fight those no one else dares face. I wasn't the last resort; I was the only option' Tom Marcus was recruited by MI5 in the wake of the 7/7 attacks on London. After five years spent undercover as part of a covert British Army special operations unit he offered the Security Service the edge they so desperately needed. Following months of intensive training, Marcus was thrown into a world of relentless, unimaginable pressure; a never-ending struggle to prevent terrorist atrocities on our city streets, foil devastating strikes against the nation's infrastructure, and keep our country's secrets safe from foreign spies. Split second decisions carried life or death consequences. And not all his colleagues would survive the fight. In this explosive first-hand account, Soldier Spy lifts the lid on the war being waged by MI5 to keep us safe in our towns and cities for the first time; a blistering, visceral insight into life on the front line against terror, revealed in never-before-seen detail. It was a job which would inevitably exact a heavy price. But when it came down to it, Marcus knew he didn't have a choice. 'Some people join the service out of a sense of duty, some out of wanting to do some good by removing the evil. I did it because it's all I knew. I'm a hunter of people and I'm damn good at it.'
Recommended by Thaddeus E. Grugq
“@justinmberman @jessfraz Principles of war is an absolute classic not just because of his findings but because of his methodology and thinking. He is lucid and it is amazing PIE book is because I read about the history of the wheel, and this was recommended. Turns out the tribal linguistics is 👍” (from X)
Offers criticism of the classical principles of war and details new laws and principles to produce a victory on the battlefields of the information age