January 2024 MBR The Computer Shelf

The Computer Shelf

How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science
Donald T. Kneusel
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718503724, $29.99, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-AI-Works-Sorcery-Science/dp/1718503725

Synopsis: Artificial intelligence is now to be found everywhere, from self-driving cars, to image generation from text, to the unexpected power of language systems like ChatGPT -- yet few people seem to know how it all really works.

With the publication of "How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science", AI expert Donald T. Kneusel unravels the mysteries of artificial intelligence, without the complex math and unnecessary jargon.

"How AI Works" explains: The relationship between artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning; The history behind AI and why the artificial intelligence revolution is happening now; How decades of work in symbolic AI failed and opened the door for the emergence of neural networks; What neural networks are, how they are trained, and why all the wonder of modern AI boils down to a simple, repeated unit that knows how to multiply input numbers to produce an output number; The implications of large language models, like ChatGPT and Bard, on our society -- nothing will be the same again.

AI isn't magic. If you've ever wondered how it works, what it can do, or why there's so much hype, "How AI Works" will teach you everything you want to know.

Critique: A timely and invaluable contribution to our current national dialogue and concerns about artificial intelligence and its impacts for good or ill on human society, "How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science" will prove of immense interest to both professional and non-specialist general readers wanting to know what it is and what it can do. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science" must be considered an essential and valued addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Artificial Intelligence & Computer Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note: Ronald T. Kneusel is a data scientist who builds deep-learning (AI) systems, as well as extensive experience with medical imaging and the development of medical devices. He earned a PhD in machine learning from the University of Colorado, Boulder, has nearly 20 years of machine learning experience in industry, and is presently pursuing deep-learning projects with L3Harris Technologies, Inc. Kneusel is also the author of Random Numbers and Computers (Springer 2018), in addition to Math for Deep Learning, Practical Deep Learning, Strange Code, and The Art of Randomness -- all of which are published by No Starch Press.

Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations
Micah Lee
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718503120, $49.99, PB, 544pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hacks-Leaks-Revelations-Micah-Lee/dp/1718503121

Synopsis: With the publication of "Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations: The Art of Analyzing Hacked and Leaked Data" by cybersecurity expert and investigative reporter Micah Lee it is now possible to unlock the internet's treasure trove of public interest data. This hands-on DIY guide blends real-world techniques for researching large datasets with lessons on coding, data authentication, and digital security. All of this is spiced up with gripping and illustrative stories from the front lines of investigative journalism.

Readers will be able to dive into exposed datasets from a wide array of sources: the FBI, the DHS, police intelligence agencies, extremist groups like the Oath Keepers, and even a Russian ransomware gang. Lee's own in-depth case studies on disinformation-peddling pandemic profiteers and neo-Nazi chatrooms serve as blueprints for your research.

Readers can gain practical skills in searching massive troves of data for keywords like "antifa" and pinpointing documents with newsworthy revelations. Of special note is the crash course in Python to automate the analysis of millions of files.

"Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations" covers: Mastering encrypted messaging to safely communicate with whistle blowers; Securing datasets over encrypted channels using Signal, Tor Browser, OnionShare, and SecureDrop; Harvesting data from the BlueLeaks collection of internal memos, financial records, and more from over 200 state, local, and federal agencies; Probing leaked email archives about offshore detention centers and the Heritage Foundation; Analyzing metadata from videos of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, sourced from the Parler social network.

We live in an age where hacking and whistleblowing can unearth secrets that alter history. "Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations" is an effective DIY toolkit for uncovering new stories and hidden truths.

Critique: Of special interest for anyone concerned with the increasing issues around cyberspace and internet database security, "Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations: The Art of Analyzing Hacked and Leaked Data" must be considered basic, fundamental reading. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.99), "Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations: The Art of Analyzing Hacked and Leaked Data" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, governmental, and college/university library Computer Network Security and Computer Hacking collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Micah Lee (https://micahflee.com) is a renowned investigative journalist and computer security engineer celebrated for securing Edward Snowden's NSA leak. He is the director of information security at The Intercept and an advisor to the transparency collective Distributed Denial of Secrets. A former EFF staff technologist and Freedom of the Press Foundation co-founder, Lee is also a Tor Project contributor and the developer of open source security tools like OnionShare and Dangerzone.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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