Rating: Summary: Not very good, but I enjoyed it! Review: This is actually not a very well written book, despite the many claims otherwise. As I expected, my impression from reading this book was that it is yet another "get something on the shelves while [fill in the blank] is still a hot topic" release. It was because of this that I did not enjoy the first few pages very much. The authors come off as not really knowing anything at all about the subject on which they are writing. I would also say they could have used a good editor. By the second chapter, however, I decided to stop criticizing the writing and the exploitive topic, and try to just enjoy the story for what it is, light-hearted fluff. I did. It was a very fun book, especially for someone who was playing with his first computer at precisely the time when these kids were playing with theirs. Recommended reading. Just try not to think too hard about it
Rating: Summary: a great introduction into the youth culture of hacking Review: I found this one browsing a bargain rack and I really enjoyed it! Its a painless introduction for newbies but even seasoned phreaks will learn a thing or two about
the gangs that created the youth hacker culture way back when....
There are some really interesting looks at the racial
and economic clashes that added fuel to the battles between
the MOD and the opposition....I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about phreaking.
Rating: Summary: Fascinating! Review: This book is one of the most interesting ones out there having to do with hackers and computer crime. A very well detailed story of how a group of kids turned into a gang of some of the most skilled hackers of their time. Very interesting
Rating: Summary: Best Book for REAL History of Phrecking Review:
This book gives the inside story of phrecking as it first
developed. As you read this book you think to yourself what
you were doing when all of this was going on.
These were the times when the shit was hitting the fan for
phone companies and you were ignorant of the situtation.
Think now for a moment if you will about what is going on
now in the hacking world. If that is too hard for you just
wait a few years and there will be a book about it.
Rating: Summary: A great book that isn't what might be expected. Review: This is a very insightful and entertaining book. It has been compared to The Cuckoo's Egg (Clifford Stoll) based on it's content. Masters of Deception is a very technical
oriented book that focuses on the background of the hacker
as an idividual. This book isn't written, nor (in my opinion) meant to be written as a spy novel with the
same intrigue as The Cuckoo's Egg (Clifford Stoll). If
you want intrigue and "edge of your seat" reading, this
may not be the book. If you want intelligent writing from a
competent and well-versed writing team, it would be hard
to do better.
Rating: Summary: Enjoyable insight into thinking and methods of hacker type. Review: The book provides an idea of the reasons for the thinking of
the people that do this sort of hacking. After reading it, I can't help but wonder how far some of these people could
have gone in the "real" world if they had put as much work
into legitimate activities. It also proves the point that
there is not as much genius involved as headlines would have
us believe, but instead there is a lot of hard work and possiby some luck involved. I would be interested in reading a book, five years from now,
telling what has happened to many of the characters.
Rating: Summary: oh please Review: The cover begins by cooing "Oh, is this ever a good book!" Nope, it isn't.
It doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Levy's "Hackers" or Stoll's "Cuckoo's Nest". I'm sorry I didn't wait for it to turn up in the bargain rack.
Rating: Summary: An excellent read.. Review: A well written, entertaining, seemingly balanced account on the events surrounding some of the first major computer crime prosecutions. Some of the information may seem a little dated, as the book was written in 1995 when the internet was a novelty more than the omni-present utility it is now. This is one of the few books that seems to present a "fair and balanced" (to borrow a term from our friends at a certain cable-tv network) view of all the players involved (the "hackers"; the phone company techs, and the various prosecutors/agents of varied government agencies.)
It is a quick read, and will keep your attention, no matter what your level of technical saavy. Give it a chance.
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