0 Item

The Scientist and the Spy

A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage

By: Mara Hvistendahl

Write A Review

Hardcover | 6 February 2020 | Edition Number 1

Sorry, we are not able to source the book you are looking for right now.

We did a search for other books with a similar title, however there were no matches. You can try selecting from a similar category, click on the author's name, or use the search box above to find your book.

A riveting true story of industrial espionage in which a Chinese-born scientist is convicted of trying to steal U.S. trade secrets, by a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in nonfiction.

In September 2011, sheriff’s deputies in Iowa encountered three neatly dressed Asian men at a cornfield that had been leased by Monsanto to grow corn from patented hybrids. What began as a routine inquiry into potential trespassing blossomed into a federal court case that saw one of the men—Mo Hailong, also known as Robert Mo—plead guilty to conspiracy to steal trade secrets from U.S. agro-giants DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto on behalf of the China-based DBN Group, one of the country’s largest seed companies.

The Mo case was part of the U.S. government’s efforts to stanch the rising flow of industrial espionage by Chinese companies—some with the assistance of the Chinese government itself—on American companies. And it’s not an isolated one. Economic espionage costs U.S. companies billions of dollars a year in lost revenue. As former Attorney General Eric Holder once put it, “There are only two categories of companies affected by trade secret theft: Those that know they’ve been compromised and those that don’t know it yet.”

Using the story of Mo and of others involved in the case, journalist Mara Hvistendahl uncovers the fascinating and disquieting phenomenon of industrial espionage as China marches toward technological domination. In The Scientist and the Spy, she shines light on U.S. efforts to combat theft of proprietary innovation and technology and delves into the efforts to slow the loss of such secrets to other nations. As technology and innovation become more and more valuable, government agencies like the FBI and companies around the world are growing increasingly concerned—and are increasingly outspoken about—the threats posed to Western competitiveness. General Keith Alexander, the ex-director of the National Security Agency, has described Chinese industrial espionage and cybercrimes as “the greatest transfer of wealth in history.”

The Scientist and the Spy explains how the easy movement of experts and ideas affects development and the important role that espionage plays in innovation, both for the spies and the spied-upon. She also asks whether the current U.S. counterespionage strategy helps or harms the greater public good. The result is a compelling nonfiction thriller that’s also a call to arms on how we should rethink the best ways to safeguard intellectual property.

About the Author

Mara Hvistendahl covered China’s renaissance in science and technology as a correspondent in Shanghai for Science. She has also written for The Atlantic, Popular Science, WIRED, and other publications. She is the author of Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. A proficient Mandarin speaker and former National Fellow at New America, she lived in China for eight years and now resides in Minneapolis with her family.

Industry Reviews

"A nuanced look at some of the pawns in the U.S.-China rivalry ... through her reporting in China and the United States, Hvistendahl recounts the case with the vivid details and pace of a spy thriller." --Foreign Policy

"A compelling whodunit. . . [A] captivating and well-researched book." --The Wall Street Journal

"Mara Hvistendahl's compelling account of the drama reads in parts like a spy thriller, replete with car chases, phone-tapping and aerial surveillance as agents track the shovel-carrying suspects across America." --The Economist

"If there is a subplot that makes this book essential reading, especially for those working in the sciences today, it is Hvistendahl's documentation of the disturbing effects that the too-vigorous pursuit of industrial spies has had on Chinese scientists and engineers in the United States." --Science

"A riveting whodunit." --The Washington Post

"[A] fascinating story, which speaks to the larger geopolitical tensions shaping our time." --Bookpage

"A true-crime thriller about a Chinese-born scientist's agricultural espionage." -Men's Journal

"[A] compelling tale of industrial espionage. . . This engaging book has something for everyone; it can be read as a spy thriller, an examination of U.S.-China relations, or a case study of agricultural espionage." --Library Journal

"[A] fascinating and well-researched study. . . . Those looking for insights into the current tensions with China will be rewarded." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Not since Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest has a cornfield produced so much excitement. . . . Hvistendahl makes industrial espionage both understandable and riveting. . . . This is a complex story, but it's presented clearly and vividly, thanks to Hvistendahl's background as a science journalist here and in China; to her exquisite pacing; and to her narrative skills . . . Hard to put down and harder to stop thinking about." --Booklist (starred review)

"Before there was a trade war, there was industrial espionage. To understand today's fight between the United States and China, you need to understand the seeds of the conflict, and this book is on the money. A nonfiction thriller for our times." --Ian Bremmer, author of Us Vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism

"The Scientist and the Spy is as compulsively readable as espionage thriller and as darkly troubling as any morality tale. Told with empathy, insight, and remarkable detail, the author shines a clear light on the increasingly relentless federal investigation, its Chinese targets, and the powerful government and business interests that drive the story to its fascinating conclusion." --Deborah Blum, author of The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Quest for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.