Rating: 
Summary: "Popular science" that is accurate and easy to read
Review: I'm sure everyone is familiar with the idea of the "monoalphabetic cipher," wherein a message is written in code by letting one letter represent another. To the untrained eye, the resulting text looks like gibberish without any structure. This is the starting point of Simon Singh's excellent primer on the nature of codes and ciphers, and he quickly points out the inherent weakness of the monoalphabetic cipher. As fans of game shows like Wheel of Fortune know, some letters are more common than others; the cipher is easily broken by frequency analysis - the most common letters in the enciphered text are going to be E, A, and S, for example. So, in fact, the enciphered text DOES have structure, and it's there for the deciphering by a codebreaker.The strength of Singh's book is its readability and structure. He introduces various methods of encoding information, points out the weaknesses that were exploited to break the code, then how the cryptographers came up with a new code to foil the codebreakers. Singh especially stresses the practicality of each method - there are very simple encoding schemes that are actually unbreakable, but also completely impractical for everyday use. This is especially important to the military - what good is a battlefield code if it takes too long to decode? Early chapters are of historical interest, but also contain codes and ciphers that are very easy to understand, so the reader gets comfortable with the language and problems of cryptography. Each chapter presents a more complex cipher than the previous, and each time Singh explains it easily, even such convoluted automations as the Nazi Enigma machine. He offers some fascinating diversions into ancient language elucidation (e.g., heiroglyphics), and eventually ends with a discussion of quantum computers and quantum cryptography. This is an area especially challenging to explain to the lay reader - based on the other reviews, he has done well. This section is clear and fascinating to read. As a chemist familiar with quantum mechanics, I can assure you that the scientific facts are presented accurately, much to the author's credit. Therefore, I highly recommend this book as an insightful, educational, and enjoyable introduction to cryptography. You will learn a lot, and will enjoy learning it.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Read
Review: While technical books are noted for draining the reader's mental resources, the Code Book deviates from the norm as it explains very intricate mathematical concepts in layman's terms. Couldn't find a more entertaining technical book while truly being enlightened on the world of cryptography. I can't wait to read this author's book on Fermat's Last Theorem.
Rating:
Summary: Popular science at its best
Review: I read this book two or so years back ago. Recently I had a chance to delve back into some chapters and decided to write down some notes. Back then the book made me feel as if I was watching a television documentary -- I was particularly reminded of the "Triumph of the Nerds" series produced by Robert Cringely during the mid 1990s. A second reading of the public key cryptography related chapters confirmed this impression. Why so? The rhythm of the sequences. Picture the following sequence of events. A narration consisting of a brief introduction to a central figure is given, followed by an interview with that figure. The interview captures some emotion re. the critical time of "discovery," and invites some questions re. the nature of the problem the figure faced. The narrator steps in again and explains what the problem means and implicates. A momentary lapse at the apex of achievement. Enter the party that builds upon the results of the initial figure, another interview with that party, and so on. I enjoyed the Triumph of the Nerds very much and also this book. Just as Cringely had, the author possesses a fine pedagogic instinct for technical matters, and definitely understands how to "herd" the crowd. He has made interesting a topic that may have been too technical for lay readers. I was so enthralled by this book at my time of reading that upon finishing it I immediately went out to purchase his other book, "Fermat's Last Theorem" (Singh's formula didn't quite work there, perhaps because there weren't enough contemporary parties to throw interviews at -- thus losing the dynamism present in this book -- but that's a different story). This much said, a word of caution. This is after all a pop science book, light reading. It is difficult to imagine how a chapter about public key cryptography can be written without mentioning certificate authorities or hashing, but here is one. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. This may very well be the pop science book of the decade.
Rating:
Summary: Historical and Mathematical intrigue
Review: Simon Singh can describe tails of drama, history, and common mathematical sense into a great book. While most people take cryptography for granted, Singh provides historical and simple examples to illustrate it's importance to mathematics and history. He details it's use in wars, especially World War 2, and commerce. He even delves into the political ramifications of strong versus weak encryption when discussing PGP. Singh also provides easy to understand ways on how encryption works and even more intriguing, how to break it. He shows how all various encryption algorithms are done, and then how code breakers can decipher them, both in practical and historical consequences. In the end, he even provides a challenge for would be decipherers out there. Granted, it's already been solved, it's still education and exciting that he offered a considerable amount of money for this challenge.... All in all, it's a fascinating book that will capture anyone's imagination, even if they hate history or math.
Rating: 
Summary: linear b
Review: I haven't read all this book, just the chapter on linear b. After having read the other two books on the decipherment of linear b, I thought this book added something and clarified some things. It made it clear for me finally, how the chart of symbols which appeared to share consonants or vowels was begun and developed, and then how the initial foray into actual translation with names of towns unlocked the power of the chart. Each book on this story has its own value, including this one.
Rating:
Summary: great book with detailed instruction and history of subject
Review: the educational writing of the author was simple to comprehend and was well delivered. the book contains multiple diagrams, pictures, and examples of dozens of codes and ciphers, all of which aided in understanding the material. the appendices in the back also gave great explanations of crytographic technique. this is definitely a book to read for all the nonfictions readers out there.
Rating:
Summary: out of a rating system of 10,
Review: I would give this book an 8.5 . This book is very interesting, taking you through the history of code making and breaking in an unparrellelled manner. Even though the author has some strange ideas about some things, I think this book is one of the best I have seen for an introduction to cryptography.
Rating:
Summary: Challenging Contest
Review: This book is a history of cryptology with many undated sections compared to the older famous, The Code Breakers, book. Especially, the section on asymmetrical systems and the history of PGP are presented. It is not a Helen Gains styled mathematical book, however. But, it is much more than boring history. . . The best section is the contest to break progressively more difficult ciphers. The contest was won long ago, but I tried it anyway and it was a wonderful experience. Very challenging and I always learn more by doing the problems in technical books anyway, than just reading the history. The answers are not always in English, which is much more realistic. Telling you this will not spoil it for you, because that hint is given in the book anyway.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: A few years back I picked up Martin Gardner's Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing, but only recently did I really develop an interest in cryptography, largely due to some recent interest in number theory and Simon Singh's wonderful The Code Book. Really a thrilling tour of the history of cryptography up to the present, with easy-to-follow explication of the theory and practice of the art. Pays particular attention to the cipher of Mary Queen of Scots, Vigenere, Enigma, Purple, RSA, PGP, and quantum cryptography. There's also an interesting detour into the world of Linear B, hieroglyphics and such. Great book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, takes you from the begining to present day
Review: Very good. Written in an understandable manner, but still has enough details & math to show you how things really work. One book that will bring you up to speed on cyphers and breaking them (well some of them). Very interesting to see the progression of cypher techniques through history.
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