They were also published in the USA for the first time by TV Books in 1998. The term "asymmetric" stems from the use of different keys to perform these opposite functions, each the inverse of the other as contrasted with conventional ("symmetric") cryptography which relies on the same key to perform both. Missouri Published 2004-06-29 Wallace J. We can all look back on the books that have shaped our perspective on politics, religion, money, and love.