Just because you are paranoid doesn’t mean they are not out to get you. –Catch 22

Paranoia about the NSA used to be the stuff of tin foil hats and other conspiracy theorists, but with the revelation from Edward Snowden things have definitely changed. David Shafer’s comedic novel focuses on an international conspiracy using a faux leadership guru against a small counter-intelligence only known as “Dear Diary”. Funny names are used, paranoid delusions are realized, and hijinx results. However, it seems the book is focused completely on comedic punch lines rather than having any kind of point. A lot of the references are very dated and gives the impression the novel had been sitting in a drawer for a decade or two which impacts the currency of the novel.

Mark Devereaux is a self-help guru followed by millions. His book Bringing the Inside Out is a bestselling novel and he has made appearances on the Oprah-like talk show Margo. Leo Crane, family heir to a major gaming fortune, is in rehab. After losing a number of jobs from his alcoholism, he starts blog entitled I Have Shared a Document With You. While covering mostly paranoid delusions, he seems to accidently hit on a major government conspiracy using Mark Devereaux’s popularity to convince the masses to give over their information and buy the new Node (read iPhone). Leila Majnoun works for a low-level NGO in Malaysia. When she stumbles upon a piece of the conspiracy puzzle, her family is targeted by the federal government. Only with the help of the shadowy “Dear Diary” is she saved from danger and forced to fight against the conspiracy.

This book feels a bit half-finished. He starts the concepts, but there is no execution or finishing. Some people have compared the book to Infinite Jest, but it really doesn’t hold a candle to it. Yes it is funny and involves a government conspiracy, but it doesn’t have any deeper issues. It is closer to Dave Eggers to The Circle, but Eggers has a better idea of where he was going and what he was trying to say. Shafer is trying to get a laugh and it is too obvious that’s his only point. The book has gotten attention this year simply because of NSA conspiracy and the reach of social networking into our private lives. Overall it is a very flat story.