Rating: 
Summary: Looking into a world you thought you knew
Review: Hackers is a watershed work... its ability to explain technical concepts is suitable for almost anyone, but its explanation of the human concept behind the early days of the computing industry -- WHY hackers were, not just WHAT they were -- is unparalleled except possibly in The Hacker Crackdown by Bruce Sterling. You might have thought you "knew" that the personal computer came from IBM, which it didn't, or from Apple, which it didn't. You might have thought even the term "hacker" meant a malicious attacker and destroyer of complex systems, when the opposite was and is true. No matter how much time you've spent in the industry, whether you're in hardware, software or management, this book will show you how much of what you thought you knew is wrong or incomplete. The players are three-dimensional, the strands linking the storylines are bright and strong, the tone isn't moralistic, and it shows clearly how not only the Hacker Ethic began and evolved, but gives us insight as to why it's still alive, well, relevant and NEEDED in an era of know-nothing suits, IPO-driven greed, and mindless hype. Buy it. Buy two. Buy three. Give them to your friends.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for anyone with even basic computing knowledge
Review: This is easily the best book ever written for non-nerds (like me) to get an insight into what the early days of the computer revolution were like. Levy captures perfectly the awe of people exposed to new technology,and the crusading spirit of the first hackers.He manages to strike a great balance between technical information and interesting snippets on those zany hackers. This is also the first book I read that discusses the start of the computer game industry.All in all,a fantastic book that propagates the Hacker Ethic like a new religion- I'm a believer!
Rating:
Summary: Required reading for ANY computer user under 35
Review: I found this book by accident in the public library some years ago, misplaced it and NEVER got to finish it. I've spent the last few years looking for it again. I was DELIGHTED to find it in re-print on Amazon.com so I could finish those last two chapters! For those of us who remember the good ole' days of computers this is a fun walk down memory lane. For younger computer users...it's a blueprint for how we got here...what we believed then (and still DO to a degree) about information. Meet the guys who wrote the rules...meet the gamers and the lamers, the phreakers and the information junkies of the 20th century.You will be amazed at how humble the revolution's beginnings really were...and how easily we were amused. Yeah, it's a well used phrase but this is a FUN read...for computer users of ANY age.
Rating:
Summary: This book is incredible, funny and informative.
Review: I bought this book used, for a quarter, in bad condition, from a bookstore in Fairbanks, Alaska and it changed my life. It is so fulfilling to finally KNOW where it all came from, where the foundation of modern computing technology was formed, and to get a glimpse into the background of the people and places that are such an integral but often forgotten part of our modern society's history. I finally understand who I am, and that there are others out there like me. I don't feel so bad anymore knowing that being a nerd is ok. Thank you Mr. Levy, thank you!
Rating:
Summary: No book better puts a human face on computing!
Review: There are only a few books I would ever re-read and this is one of them. In particular, Part One and the Epilogue are wonderful depictions of the true enjoyment of computing.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading, well written
Review: Levy has taken a subject that could be extremely boring and made it very interesting. I found myself so absorbed in this story the other night that I ended up reading late into the night. I appreciated that he devoted equal time to the time frames outlining each section. Often, with historical writings (which this really is) a large proportion of time is devoted to the current state, but Levy kept the story balanced and coherent. Levy introduced me to characters in the 50's and 60's that I had never heard of, who were truly brilliant people. A follow up would be greatly appreciated, that would take us into the 90's and outline how hacking has changed. Hats off to Levy. I will be looking at more of his writings.
Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly engaging book; should be re-read every year
Review: I first read this book in the late 1980s, as a teenaged computer enthusiast, and I was incredibly inspired by the contents. In the mid-1990s, I bought a copy of the trade paperback and I now regularly re-read the stories of the people who share my love of computing. I don't think that you can really understand the motivation of folks like Richard Stallman and the GNU project without reading this book. I would like to see an updated version of this book that covered the period from 1982-2000.
Rating:
Summary: An awsome BOOK, a must read for any computer enthusiest
Review: Hackers is an indeapth look into the odd, but interesting history of computing. I great book!!!
Rating: 
Summary: so so
Review: A nice overview of the history of software development, but it overglamorizes drones in the software industry and has disapointingly little technical information. It is overly pedantic in its glamorization of the so-called hacker ethic. At least Levy discusses the ethic in its historical context (where it belongs) rather than trying to pretend it applys in todays world.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book that makes computer history interseting
Review: This book is phenomanlly well written. The author does a terrific job of making complex computer jargon understandable, and makes what would otherwise be a boring subjectfascinating and compelling.
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