 |
From an early age, the author's fascination with communications, technology, and radio opened up a world beyond the Pennsylvania neighborhood he called home. With more practice and ingenuity, he found opportunities to work at RCA Laboratories in the 1950s, turning science fiction into fact. Almost entirely self-taught, his willingness to continue studying any materials he could find and collaborating with several very noteworthy engineers opened more and more doors. That is, until they didn't. Without a degree, his career at RCA could go no further. After trying a few opportunities out, he went into business making industrial repairs until a literal wrong turn brought him to the doorstep of the United States intelligence community. Inventing primarily bomb-defusal equipment as well as surveillance and countersurveillance equipment, his ability to react to new trends and anticipate changes made him many customers and a lot of money.
All of that changed one day when an otherwise normal trip to the FBI led Kaiser to notice that one of his invoices was lying out, and all of the prices had been marked up without his knowledge. After testifying to the House Select Committee and working to set the record straight and explain the nature of his business and his clients, he had become persona non grata without any modicum of explanation as to why. Seemingly blackballed and his company brought to an end in every corner of the intelligence and ordinance detection industries, the fight to discover and share the truth became the most important task of all. But how could one person reveal the facts when their adversary was in the business of absolute secrecy and subterfuge?
This personal tale can be read as a journey in two halves. The first part of the book, though it does have its fair share of setbacks and challenges, reads as the author's introduction and fascination with invention and applying skills and passion in exciting ways. After the discovery of the doctored invoice, the rest of the book almost exclusively deals with the fallout of trying to understand what happened and resume some sense of normalcy with Kaiser's clientele, only to be thwarted and deflected around every turn. It proves to be a frustrating, sometimes fruitless endeavor, but it is an examination of morals and principles that any reader with a sense of justice can relate to, especially if it happened to them.
In between exciting stories of discovering bugged offices and phone lines, and of developing unique, cutting-edge technology, is a wealth of photographs of events, equipment, and schematics. During the litigious moments in the latter half of the book, many of those photographs and devices give way to letters and legal correspondence. It's impressive to hear how quickly not only technology was developing during the Cold War but how quickly scientists were able to adapt and imagine new ways of doing things, even in the private sector. This autobiography covers some truly fascinating events and times, but it is ultimately the story of an individual fighting to clear their name and make a living against massive, powerful forces that can bend or break the rules at will. The end result is a classic David vs. Goliath showdown, but one rooted deeply in the modern world and the common-sense adage that you can't fight City Hall. Though if there's nothing else to lose, it certainly can't hurt to try.