1 HOW THIS BOOK CAN MAKE YOU INVISIBLE Governments keep a lot of secrets from their people . . . Why aren't the people in return allowed to keep secrets from the government?
—PHILIP ZIMMERMAN, DER SPIEGEL Sometimes life has a way of appearing as nothing more than a string of minor and major disasters, a series of challenges that, when considered in their totality, can overwhelm even the most levelheaded of individuals. In fact, it's only prudent to prepare for the worst that life has to offer: thus, life insurance, home insurance, extra batteries, security systems, dead bolts, a little fire extinguisher in the kitchen, and on and on. However, there's one glaring omission in most people's planning, one gap in their vigilance which is potentially more devastating than if they went through life smoking in bed, shampooing with gasoline, and taking out-of-date aspirin. And this omission is their personal and financial privacy. So think of this book as flood insurance. If the river near you has not yet started to rise, I can show you how to move to higher