Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President What We Don't, Can't, and Do Know Hardcover – October 3, 2018 by Kathleen Hall Jamieson (Oxford University Press)

If you care about the American political process, this book is as thorough as one could find in the analysis of the 2016 Presidential election. As someone who majored in Political Science, albeit over 40 years ago, and has read my share of dry textbooks and articles layered with facts and assumptions, this is not a book for someone who is not openminded when trying to ascertain who did what, and how that affected the candidates, voters, and even the media, in the political gamesmanship department.

With the title being CYBERWAR: HOW RUSSIAN HACKERS AND TROLLS HELPED ELECT A PRESIDENT, you would think this book would be only about the cyberwar, but it isn't. Dr. Jamieson discusses what was said by the candidates, when they said it, and even makes assumptions as to what would have happened had they said something different, or even nothing.

CYBERWAR does not tell us what we are to think, and it is not one of those publications written to influence the reader, but, for me, at least, it is an alarming account of how we, especially those of us who have a feeling we know the Internet since we have been using it for almost 40 years, allowed ourselves to be manipulated by others. This isn't an updated version of THE $ELLING OF THE PRESIDENT, where you see how one party packaged a candidate. CYBERWAR uses surveys, news articles, and even the campaign rhetoric to show how specific events shaped voter opinion.

As one who has studied politics for most of my life, this book is scary because right now it seems like what occurred in 2016 has morphed into something even more dangerous for our nation. I gave it four stars mostly because of its seriousness, and five stars might have someone buy it who cannot commit to reading all of it. This book is not for the casual reader or the light sleeper.
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