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Comment by pneumatic1 | Hacker News Reader

Book recommendations on this topic? International internet infrastructure in general, not China/US relations.

"Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet" by Andrew Blum - This book takes readers on a tour of the physical infrastructure that underpins the internet, including the network of undersea cables that connect countries around the world.

"The Undersea Network" by Nicole Starosielski - This book explores the history and politics of undersea cables, including the way that they have been used to connect and control different parts of the world.

"The Global War for Internet Governance" by Laura DeNardis - This book examines the complex political and legal issues surrounding the governance of the internet, including the role of different countries and organizations in managing the global network.

"Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War" by Fred Kaplan - While this book is focused more broadly on the history of cyber war, it includes some fascinating details about the role that undersea cables have played in international conflicts and espionage.

"The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google" by Nicholas Carr - This book explores the history of technological infrastructure, including the development of the telegraph, telephone, and internet, and how these innovations have transformed the way we live and work.

You can also ask chatGPT for some good recs. I say this here because it looks like this was already done.

Yea I was hoping to get recommendations with a 'human who reads Hacker News' filter.

I wonder how long it's gonna take for advertising to be integrated into ChatGPT.

I feel like there was a Neal Stephenson book that touched on this too but can't remember which off the top of my head... Cryptonomicon? I mention it because I found no matter how many international relations, management books, etc. I go through, I almost always learn more from scifi.

Cryptonomicon did touch on it as part of the plot but predating that was his article for Wired, “Mother Earth Mother Board”[1][2].

[1]: https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/ (Warning, it’s a Wired link)

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Remarks This book also has a copy of the Wired arrticle and is probably the superior way to read it. Wikipedia link so you can choose your own bookstore.

Wasn't cryptonomicon about Alan Turing inventing bitcoin? It's been a while since I last read that book

Neal Stephenson doesn’t tend to stick to just one story in his storytelling, so also yes.

EDIT: to be a little bit less glib about it, Cryptonomicon has multiple POV characters including characters that hang around Alan Turing.

Neal Stephenson explored international internet infrastructure in other works as well:

Reamde (2011) involves the hijacking of an undersea fiber-optic cable and the resulting disruption of internet connectivity in various parts of the world.

Interface (1994) involves a corrupt presidential candidate who seeks to control the internet through the manipulation of network infrastructure

“Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage” - Sherry Sontag & Christopher Drew - Indirect, but the title is the summary. I recommend familiarizing yourself with Operation Ivy Bells.

Ivy Bells is arguably the Cold War’s signature known clandestine undersea cable tapping operation. Contextualizes lengths nations will go to for physical access. It is far easier to own a cable than use a nuclear powered sub to sneakily deploy a tap.

I love the bit about the "Made In USA" badge on a clandestine piece of gear.

This set off my ChatGPT Detector. To help me calibrate, was it right?

Edit: I think it was the multiple "this book"

Mine too. The consistent and concise formatting is part of it, but the lack of any actual expressed opinion about the books is the big trigger I think.

Weirdly at one point I would have thought being neutral and easily digestible would be positive qualities in a comment. How the world changes..

It is absolutely a chatgpt-text

A classic long-read article – "Mother Earth Mother Board" by Neal Stephenson –

"The hacker tourist ventures forth across the wide and wondrous meatspace of three continents, chronicling the laying of the longest wire on Earth."

https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/

Not a book, but a great interactive map where you can click on any submarine cable: