cover of episode The Secret Life Audiobook by Andrew O'Hagan

The Secret Life Audiobook by Andrew O'Hagan

2017/6/22
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Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in Science & Technology, Technology

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Title: The Secret Life Subtitle: Three True Stories Author: Andrew O'Hagan Narrator: Robin Laing Format: Unabridged Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins Language: English Release date: 06-22-17 Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes Genres: Science & Technology, Technology

Publisher's Summary: Andrew O'Hagan issues three bulletins from the porous border between cyberspace and the 'real world.' 'Ghosting' introduces us to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, whose autobiography the author ghostwrites with unforeseen consequences. 'The Invention of Ronnie Pinn' finds the author using the identity of a deceased man to construct an entirely new one in cyberspace. Finally, 'The Satoshi Affair' chronicles the strange case of Craig Wright, the Australian web developer who may or may not be the mysterious inventor of Bitcoin.

Critic Reviews: "What a brilliantly versatile writer Andrew O'Hagan is, [...] (he) pulls the threads of his narrative together with consummate skill. It is beautifully done." (The Mail on Sunday on The Illuminations) "A triumph in words." (The Independent on Sunday on The Missing)

Members Reviews: Fascinating A fascinating account of the chaotic attempt by Julian Assange to write his autobiography. We are in the period before Julian took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy but nevertheless was forced to wear an electronic tag and sign in each day at the local police station while he fought extradition to Sweden on rape allegations. His ghost writer, Andrew O'Hagan, put together a 70,000 word draft compiled from his visits and interviews with the WikiLeaks entrepreneur despite Julian's constant procrastination over many months and finally refusals to let it go, so that the publishers demanded the return of the $2.5 million advance. In that absence, Canongate Books put the book out as an unauthorised biography. This version, the story of how the book was written, gives us those torturous months that O'Hagan struggled to get it written and ends with visits to the Ecuadorian embassy - a nation not famous for its respect for freedom of speech - where Assange was holed up and isolated, most his 'friends' and fans having abandoned him. And no wonder. The supposed champion of free speech about everyone else except himself, Assange comes across as an unreliable and narcissistic man who has no social graces, eats like a pig and repeatedly turns against those trying to help him. This is not a biography but still its pages reveal the founder of WikiLeaks unfettered and paranoid. The rest of this book about two other secret lives are equally fascinating and I recommend it. Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa