Shortform Books

Edward Snowden: Privacy Doesn’t Exist in Digital Age

What does Edward Snowden think of privacy? Is it something you can protect with the right measures? Does Snowden think that privacy is unattainable and you should just accept that you’re being spied on? For Edward Snowden, privacy was the motivation for blowing the whistle. Snowden saw mass surveillance to be an unconstitutional violation of privacy. Learn more about Snowden, privacy protections he would recommend, and the risks you’re facing in the digital age.

Edward Snowden: Hong Kong Can’t Offer Protection

How did Edward Snowden end up in Hong Kong? What was the reason for him to go there to leak his story to journalists? For Edward Snowden, Hong Kong was meant to be where he took refuge, but what happened? Hong Kong is the place that Edward Snowden went to when he was ready to blow the whistle on government surveillance. For Edward Snowden, Hong Kong wasn’t an option to stay because of US pressure. Read more about Edward Snowden in Hong Kong.

The Tuskegee Experiment: Let Poor Black Men Die of Syphilis?

Why did researchers let hundreds of men die of syphilis when they knew how to cure it? What brought all these poor Black men to the Tuskegee Institute? Are there lasting ethical considerations for research from the Tuskegee syphilis study? The Tuskegee experiment is a study from the 1930s that recruited hundreds of men with syphilis just to watch them die. Researchers wanted to understand how syphilis kills people. Find out more about the Tuskegee syphilis study, ethical issues, and the continued research presence of the Tuskegee Institute.

The Nuremberg Code of Ethics: Stopping Cruel Experimentation

What prompted the need for a code of ethics for medical research? What did the Nazi doctors do that resulted in death sentences for them? How does the Nuremberg Code help protect human research subjects? The Nuremberg Code of Ethics is a set of principles for human experimentation. The ten-point code was created by a US-led tribunal that tried Nazi doctors. Learn about the Nuremberg Code and violations of it in 1963.

Gladys Pleasant Lacks: She Told Henrietta Not to Marry Day

What happened to Henrietta Lacks’ siblings? Was she close to Gladys Pleasant Lacks? How was Gladys Lacks impacted by her sister’s death? Gladys Pleasant Lacks was Henrietta Lacks’ older sister. She heard Henrietta’s last words as she was dying and remained in her children’s lives. Learn more about Gladys Lacks and Skloot’s visit to her house.

The Enron Blockbuster Deal: Failure and Fake Profits

What was the Enron Blockbuster deal, and why is it important? The Enron Blockbuster deal was a failed deal in which Enron and Blockbuster attempted to start a streaming service. The Enron Blockbuster deal fell apart, and Enron blamed Blockbuster, and then covered up their losses with unethical accounting practices.

John Moore’s Cells: A Biological Patent Without Permission

Can you get a biological patent on someone else’s cells? What happened to John Moore’s cells when Dr. David Golde took them? How did the court consider the issue of patenting of biological material? John Moore’s cells were involved in an important case on the patenting of biological material. Read more about his case, which involved the issue of awarding a biological patent and breach of fiduciary duty.

Who Was the Enron CEO? Two Leaders, Two Failures

A man in a business suit pointing and showing an adaptive leadership style

Who was the Enron CEO who was responsible for the company’s collapse? Enron had two CEO’s, Ken Lay, the founder, and Jeff Skilling, the former COO who moved into the CEO position. Both Enron CEO’s contributed to the culture and bad business practices at Enron that eventually cause the company’s failure. Read below to learn more about each Enron CEO.

Edward Snowden’s CIA Training: Breaking the Rules

What did Edward Snowden do after CIA Training? What happens at training to be a telecommunications information systems officer (TISO)? How did complaints secure Edward Snowden Geneva instead of his preferred post? CIA training is conducted at a placed called the Hill. The training program for TISOs Ed Snowden went to included work with a variety of older technologies. Read more about CIA training, Edward Snowden, Geneva offices, and what Ed took away from all of it.

Elsie Lacks: Henrietta’s Daughter, Committed to a Hospital

Who was the daughter of Henrietta Lacks that died only a few years after her mother? Why was Elsie Lacks committed to the Hospital for Negro Insane? How was she treated at this facility with a record of experimentation and abuse? Elsie Lacks was the second child of Henrietta Lacks. She was diagnosed with “idiocy” and committed to the Hospital for Negro Insane. Elsie Lacks’ medical records show that she suffered abuse, experimentation, and mistreatment. Learn about the short and tragic life of Elsie Lacks, Crownsville and its atrocities, and how the records were found.