The Silicon Jungle: A Novel of Deception, Power, and Internet Intrigue

Baluja's clever, cynical debut explores the frightening possibilities of data mining%E2%80%94using computers to access stored data in order to determine people's tastes and predict future behavior. Stephen Thorpe, an intern at computer giant Ubatoo, just wants to impress his boss by developing a list of traits by which to identify potential terrorists. Stephen's lover, Molly Byrne, just wants to finish her grad school thesis by building a Web page on which Islamic extremists can vent (or modify, with her coaxing) their rage. But when Stephen and Molly are set free on their computers without supervision, their curiosity leads them to create dangerous instruments. Stephen's list, for example, proves a valuable recruiting tool for terrorists. A nod to Upton Sinclair's muckraking The Jungle, which scared its readers into regulating the meat-packing industry, this lively if depressing novel suggests that computer snooping is too seductive to control, despite the consequences. (May)