How to Be Invisible: The Essential Guide to Protecting Your Personal Privacy, Your Assets, and Your Life (Revised Edition)

Wow, paranoid. With some good reason but a tough chew for some.

I had some issues with it, aside from some poor copy-editing and substantive editing. First, and most important, I found many things that actually were illegal in this book. This could be a nationality issue - the book is written for Americans and I am not - but because I had picked a chapter in the middle to read for fun before reading the whole thing and found the things I knew to be illegal, I was now questioning the legality of everything in the book. It made the entire thing less enjoyable for me.

The next part was the sexism. Most of the book was simply about the facts but any time there was anything that could be gendered, it reeks of '60's rhetoric - with the man show more arranging everything and having to protect the poor, little wife. When he suggested names for people he even stuck with only giving male suggestions. I hate to say it but women have even more cause to have to value their privacy, yet it was not a consideration.

It needs to be updated again for modern times. For example, stopgap computers are not always possible as software no longer comes on CD/DVDs. Once one has to log on even once to obtain software, or plug in a stick to transfer files, updating security patches becomes a necessity. As well, more and more, all levels of government just expect people to have access to modern technology and do not have hard-copy alternatives. I cannot count the number of times I have gotten into some upset because a civil servant has told me that I must now go to the public library for Internet access then, if I cannot afford home Internet, because they simply do not have paper applications, not even to order. I now need a smartphone to call a cab. It's ridiculous and technology is becoming unavoidable.

The last issue I am going to mention is the money. His solutions are costly. It is a shame because it is often the people who do not have money who need more protection. For example, it is those in helping professions (cops, social workers, free clinic workers, addiction workers, teachers, therapists, etc.) who attract unwanted attention from those they serve, but their professions do not remunerate them as well as others. The advice he gives doesn't well serve large groups who would likely need it.

While there were some takeaways, most of the advice I will be following was also mentioned in other books on this topic. this isn't going to be the first book I recommend to people. show less

In a world awash with private investigators out to get you (???), you must sell your house and move if you've ever received a letter or delivery at your true address (???), hire only Jehovah's Witnesses as cleaning ladies (???), ... (Sorry, I just can't go on. The author must have shortened his name from Lunatic.) www.howtobeinvisible.com

In 1970, Franco yielded to pressure from the western world, moderated Spain's laws, and allowed Luna to "come in from the cold", which was 11 years running a secret operation.