Justin Peters is a correspondent for Slate. He has written for various national publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Monthly. He is an alumnus of Cornell University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
"Peters captures Swartz flawlessly."
*New York Times Book Review*
"Riveting....Peters' book is a fascinating look not only at one of
the Internet's most beloved whiz kids but also at the way copyright
works and doesn't work in America today."
*Los Angeles Times*
“We are lucky to have The Idealist, by the journalist Justin
Peters. His account is part biography, part history of copyright
law, and ultimately a cogent and readable précis of the life of a
twenty-six-year-old genius who managed, over the course of a few
years, to contribute to a lifetime’s worth of projects and
initiatives.”
*Bookforum*
"What [The Idealist] does—and does very well—is put Swartz’s work
in context. The book gives an engaging, if knowingly incomplete,
account of the history of intellectual property and copyright law,
the archaic roots (and current implications) of cyberlaw, and some
key players in the ongoing fight between open-data philosophy and
the federal government.
*New Republic*
"Peters’ new book is an excellent survey of the [intellectual
property] battlefield, and a sobering memorial to its most tragic
victim."
*The Boston Globe*
“The Idealist hefts its burden of research and explanation with
flair. Perhaps the greatest service Peters performs, though, is
giving us Swartz’s own voice on page after page: a private soul
with a gift for friendship; an idealist but no innocent; restless,
precocious, growing and learning."
*Intelligent Life Magazine*
"Justin Peters is an immensely talented storyteller and The
Idealist is an uncommonly good book—an ambitious, erudite,
meticulously crafted work on a pivotal and tragic figure. The
Idealist succeeds as biography, as history, and as narrative
nonfiction."
*Evan Ratliff, contributing editor at Wired*
"Justin Peters delivers not only an exceptionally crafted story
about the life of Aaron Swartz but also a bold and important
history of information policy in the Internet age. The depth of
research and graceful writing makes the book compulsively readable.
Everyone should read The Idealist, if only to better understand the
mounting crisis America faces in the realm of digital rights."
*Adam Clark Estes, senior writer at Gizmodo*
"Justin Peters masterfully narrates thestory of Aaron Swartz, who
abdicated a life of privilege and convenience bychoosing the path
of fiercely principled activism. A riveting read, The Idealist
channels Swartz's inner demons, philosophical provocations, and
political actions, all of which compel the reader to think about
the world—and changing the world—in new ways."
*Gabriella Coleman, author of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy:
The Many Faces of Anonymous*
"The Idealist is a priceless research compendium for anyone
studying copyright culture. Starting at the very beginning of
copyright law in the 1700s, Justin Peters carefully escorts the
reader into the Kafkaesque copyright and DRM-plagued world that we
live in today. Peters is somehow able to pinpoint the complex
questions that our culture has to answer if we are to move forward
into the future without forgetting our past."
*Lisa Rein, co-founder of CreativeCommons and Aaron Swartz Day*
"In powerful, clear-eyed prose, Justin Peters recounts Aaron
Swartz's life story and astutely explains why that story continues
to matter today. The Idealist should be required reading for anyone
who has ever shared—or who hasn't ever shared—a file on the
Internet."
*David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress*
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