One man holds the key to the most revolutionary and powerful technology since the invention of the atom bomb.The press wants to interview Factor Man. The Chinese government wants to kill him. And the FBI wants to protect him.But first, they need to find him.William Burkett is a statistics-savvy journalist, but he isn’t qualified to judge the extraordinary claims in an anonymous email he receives … extraordinary claims in an anonymous email he receives from “Factor Man.” Is FM a crackpot, or has he discovered what computer scientists call “God’s algorithm?” As FM solves increasingly complex math problems in a public countdown to the day his identity will be revealed, the momentous consequences of his apparent invention draw the attention of a Chinese assassin. Will Factor Man survive until his coming-out party, or will his technology die with him?
PRAISE FOR FACTOR MAN
“Factor Man gives us a hero for our times: a tech genius with common sense and a commitment to social responsibility. An original, smart thriller that stretches your imagination and keeps you engaged to the end.”—AMY ROGERS, author of Petroplague
“A fantastic job of taking us on a ride featuring engaging characters, exciting action and deep-thinking heroes and villains of a type all too rare in the genre. I greatly enjoyed this book.” —BART MASSEY, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Portland State University
“A real page-turner, thanks to the characters, plot twists and humor. Even though I’m nicer than the guy in the book, I still loved it.” —BRIAN FINN, ex-president of Credit Suisse
“A classy and clever thriller best read with your phone off and your brain on.”—MARK BLACKABY, author of You’ll Never Be Here Again
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Factor Man by Matt Ginsberg
Enjoyed this book because of all the up to date knowledge of technology.
Wondreed what 256 bit encryption was all about as we choose new passwords and some are lower bits then others. Lots of math and science and an all around good read.
Mix that controversy with the Chinese government-retaliaiton for what they think is a US citizen shutting down their internet for 11 seconds and you have a story.
So much travel as FBI agent and newspaper reporter is on the trail to linking clues and to who comitted murder. Love all the hints and clues and especially the encyption used.
Well thought out in the present and future days. Learned so much about net private conversations and which agency is allowed to ask for what in solving crimes. Alternating chapters so you hear the story from multiple views.
Can really see something like this happening in our lifetime.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Matt Ginsberg’s Factor Man is a cerebral read that seems targeted for a selective audience, namely techno-geeks and nerds, especially those knowledgeable in advanced math and science. This is especially true for the first third of the book where Ginsberg lays out the background of what Factor Man can do, how he hides from the entire planet, and just how important his factoring is. Ginsberg’s book couldn’t be timelier with its use of e-mails and blog entries to partially tell the story of online issues with security and privacy and the powers of companies like Google and Apple.
Factor Man The plot centers on the world-famous “Factor Man” who claims he can break the 256-bit encryption codes making online privacy and secrets completely impossible. There’s lots to worry about if “FM” has really discovered what computer scientists call “God’s algorithm.” The evidence for his claims builds up as the unknown genius who solves increasingly complex factor problems in a public countdown to the day he plans to reveal his identity. Day after day, all sorts of individuals including Will Wheaton, Sylvester Stallone, and Jimmy Fallon submit long strings of numbers for Factor Man to factor—you’d think every celebrity in the world was interested in complexity theory.
Assuming FM can survive to the day he is willing to lose his anonymity is no sure thing. FM sets up a schedule to sell his technology first to the highest bidder, one year later to the U.S. Government, and finally make it available to everyone. The Chinese, with the most to lose, are deeply unhappy and send out an assassin to track him down. The FBI and NSA follow the lead of Congress who pass laws attempting to block FM from selling his tech to any private entity. So law enforcement agents conduct annoying surveillance on innocent citizens in the Texas desert while the Chinese agent kills two innocent Americans. Throw in an investigative reporter who also chases FM all over Europe, especially in Austria and Switzerland. It’s this section of the book where readers don’t need a math or science background to get into what is essentially an espionage thriller.
Along the way, we hear Factor Man telling his own story, including his clever journey to evade discovery and capture. Layered into the tale are the accounts of the reporter, Chinese operative, and officers from various government agencies and other characters sharing their roles in the hunt they tell in the first person.
When I said the book is timely, that’s on several levels. The story opens in 2017 and concludes in 2021. You’d think the short trip into the future would qualify the story as science fiction. However you classify the novel, Factor Man is an original work of fiction with subject matter that is fresh with a mostly lively approach and tone. I admit I could live without the interruptive series of numbers e-mailed to FM which all readers, I presume, will quickly skim over. I also admit I have a hard time buying into a large media event I can’t fairly describe here. On the other hand, the thrill-ride that leads up to this event is as suspenseful a chase as you’ll ever read. Best of all, we get a warm, positive ending. I love it when I’m not experiencing a dystopian future. I like it when the good guys win.
It’s been a long time since I last started reading a book in the early afternoon and finished it before bedtime. Talk about a page turner…
This is a novel for nerds! As nerds go, I guess I qualify. I’m not a computer scientist or programmer, but it did spend two decades as an IT support specialist. I might not know all the ins and outs of 128-bit encryption, but I was able to simply absorb quite a bit. Did you read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO? That started out as a pretty dry recounting of what could have been the end of an economy journalist’s career. Me? I read it and was ready to stop reading at less than 20 pages. Am I glad I didn’t.
At the start, mention is made of a blog at ‘factorman0.blogspot.com’ which, of course, as a nerd myself, I had to verify. Yes, there is a pretty plain vanilla page at that web address. There are no posts, only a link to “About Me” with a Factorman link. Slick, but not too slick.
If you have ever heard the line “I don’t read fiction,” you will understand that overall it is a pretty ignorant thing to say. Although, fiction is, by definition, the product of someone’s imagination, it is ludicrous to believe that imagination isn’t fueled by fact. I read both fiction and non-fiction, and it is my experience that fiction often contains more clear-cut fact than any humanities textbook ever in use. Let’s take history as an example. I know that I learned more American history from John Jakes eight-book series, The Kent Family Chronicles (the first book was called THE BASTARD), than I ever learned in school. Why do I say that? Simple. I absorbed and retained far more from the historical fiction than I ever did trying to memorize dates and their associated people and places. I always like to acknowledge research done by a fiction writer because it is that research that makes the story both plausible and interesting. A little research goes a long way on the road to suspending disbelief.
Spoiler alert (no, not about the book), I write my reviews while I am reading the book. Something hits me and I stop reading and write a line or two so I won’t forget it. I’m almost 80% of my way through the book, and it is just un-put-downable. This is quite possibly the best book I’ve read, so far, this year. That is saying a lot since most of the books have been great in their own way.
FACTOR MAN is ultimately about the age old question, because I can, should I? Technology is a tool that can be exploited for both good and evil. This was the same issue faced by nuclear physicists working on the bomb or clean energy. This is the question cloning asks, should we, or shouldn’t we. It is also one of the most finely crafted thrillers I have ever read. Have you read THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER? This is better! Are you a fan of Sherlock Holmes? There is enough puzzle and mystery to confound even him. There is a sprinkling of humor throughout that helps to break up some of the worst tension. You know who is a master of that technique? Stephen King, that’s who. I know that I’m putting Matt Ginsberg into that class of authors we call the greats on the basis of a single book, but I think his voice, which is truly his own voice, ranks up there with the best of the best.
I could continue to pile on superlatives, but I think you understand already that this is a must read book. It will open your eyes to the world of online commerce, and espionage, and to one man’s dream of making the world a better place for everyone.Who Is Factor Man?