Baseless: my search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act
(Book)
"Ten years into researching a book about the possibility that the United States had used biological weapons in the Korean War, Nicholson Baker was frustrated and disheartened. In the course of his research, he had become deeply disillusioned with the process of FOIA requests. He has been forced to wait years in some cases, while other requests have been answered only with documents rendered inscrutable, or even illegible, by copious redactions. Rather than wait forever, with his head full of secrets aboutgovernment atrocities committed by his own country, Baker sets out to keep a personal journal of his obstructed research instead. He begins documenting his correspondence with the government administrators who are charged with responding to, and thus stymying, his requests. The result is one of the most original and daring works of nonfiction in recent memory, a singular and mesmerizing narrative into the history of some of the darkest and most shameful secrets of the CIA and US government--all willfullyconcealed to some degree despite the existence of the so-called Freedom of Information Act. In his preternaturally lucid and unassuming style, Baker unearths stories of CIA programs involving weaponized insects and the deliberate spread of Lyme disease;dangerous military experiments carried out on unsuspecting American citizens; and devastating chemical munitions designed to inflict terrible harm on innocent civilians in far-flung countries. At the same time, he shares beautiful anecdotes from his dailylife in Maine feeding his dogs and watching the morning light gather on the horizon. The result is an astonishing and utterly disarming story about waiting, bureaucracy, the horrors of war, and, above all, the deadly secrets the United States governmentkeeps from its citizens"--
Notes
Baker, N. (2020). Baseless: my search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act. New York, Penguin Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Baker, Nicholson. 2020. Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act. New York, Penguin Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Baker, Nicholson, Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act. New York, Penguin Press, 2020.
MLA Citation (style guide)Baker, Nicholson. Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act. New York, Penguin Press, 2020.
Record Information
Last Sierra Extract Time | Apr 23, 2024 01:42:13 PM |
---|---|
Last File Modification Time | Apr 23, 2024 01:42:31 PM |
Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Apr 23, 2024 01:42:19 PM |
MARC Record
LEADER | 04101cam 2200493 i 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
003 | DLC | ||
005 | 20200210113438.9 | ||
008 | 191223t2020 nyu e b 001 0 eng | ||
010 | |a 2019043384 | ||
020 | |a 9780735215757|q (hardcover) | ||
020 | |a 0735215758|q (hardcover) | ||
037 | |b Penguin Group USA, Attn: Order Processing 405 Murray Hill Pkwy, East Rutherford, NJ, USA, 07073-2136|n SAN 201-3975 | ||
040 | |d EL | ||
050 | 0 | 0 | |a UG447.8|b .B28 2020 |
082 | 0 | 0 | |a 358/.3880973|2 23 |
092 | 0 | |a 358.3880 | |
100 | 1 | |a Baker, Nicholson,|e author. | |
245 | 1 | 0 | |a Baseless :|b my search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act /|c Nicholson Baker. |
246 | 3 | 0 | |a My search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act |
264 | 1 | |a New York :|b Penguin Press,|c 2020. | |
264 | 4 | |c ©2020. | |
300 | |a xiv, 450 pages ;|c 24 cm | ||
336 | |a text|b txt|2 rdacontent | ||
337 | |a unmediated|b n|2 rdamedia | ||
338 | |a volume|b nc|2 rdacarrier | ||
504 | |a Includes bibliographical references ([381]-434) and index. | ||
520 | |a "Ten years into researching a book about the possibility that the United States had used biological weapons in the Korean War, Nicholson Baker was frustrated and disheartened. In the course of his research, he had become deeply disillusioned with the process of FOIA requests. He has been forced to wait years in some cases, while other requests have been answered only with documents rendered inscrutable, or even illegible, by copious redactions. Rather than wait forever, with his head full of secrets aboutgovernment atrocities committed by his own country, Baker sets out to keep a personal journal of his obstructed research instead. He begins documenting his correspondence with the government administrators who are charged with responding to, and thus stymying, his requests. The result is one of the most original and daring works of nonfiction in recent memory, a singular and mesmerizing narrative into the history of some of the darkest and most shameful secrets of the CIA and US government--all willfullyconcealed to some degree despite the existence of the so-called Freedom of Information Act. In his preternaturally lucid and unassuming style, Baker unearths stories of CIA programs involving weaponized insects and the deliberate spread of Lyme disease;dangerous military experiments carried out on unsuspecting American citizens; and devastating chemical munitions designed to inflict terrible harm on innocent civilians in far-flung countries. At the same time, he shares beautiful anecdotes from his dailylife in Maine feeding his dogs and watching the morning light gather on the horizon. The result is an astonishing and utterly disarming story about waiting, bureaucracy, the horrors of war, and, above all, the deadly secrets the United States governmentkeeps from its citizens"--|c Provided by publisher. | ||
610 | 1 | 0 | |a United States.|t Freedom of Information Act. |
650 | 0 | |a Biological weapons|z United States|x History. | |
650 | 0 | |a Biological warfare|x Research|z United States. | |
650 | 0 | |a Intelligence service|z United States|x History. | |
650 | 0 | |a Official secrets|z United States. | |
650 | 0 | |a Government information|z United States. | |
650 | 0 | |a Cold War. | |
907 | |a .b26482885 | ||
945 | |y .i64234526|i 20702994185|l bran|s -|h |u 1|x 0|w 0|v 0|t 2|z 06-20-20|o -|a 358.388 BAK | ||
945 | |y .i64386776|i 20905757207|l mean|s -|h |u 0|x 0|w 0|v 0|t 2|z 07-23-20|o -|a 358.38 BA | ||
945 | |y .i64422689|i 33520001398047|l osan|s -|h |u 0|x 0|w 0|v 0|t 2|z 07-31-20|o -|a 358 BAKER | ||
945 | |y .i64438016|i 21707759359|l waan|s -|h |u 2|x 0|w 0|v 2|t 2|z 08-06-20|o -|a 358.388 BAKER | ||
945 | |y .i64440850|i 32159002343818|l oran|s -|h |u 0|x 0|w 0|v 0|t 2|z 08-07-20|o -|a 358.388 Baker | ||
945 | |y .i64448277|i 22205148673|l maan|s r|h |u 0|x 0|w 0|v 0|t 2|z 08-10-20|o -|a 358.388 BAKER | ||
945 | |y .i64696285|i 20603572452|l elan|s -|h |u 1|x 0|w 0|v 1|t 2|z 10-09-20|o -|a 358.388 Baker | ||
945 | |y .i64780454|i 21203896978|l nwan|s !|h |u 1|x 0|w 0|v 1|t 2|z 11-02-20|o -|a 358.388 BAK | ||
998 | |e -|d a |f eng|a br|a el|a ma|a me|a nw|a os|a or|a wa |