Rating:  - Fantastic.
I can't even begin to describe how much I love this book. It was an earth shattering expirience. I had heard of the hacker etic before, but not to this extent. I couldn't put it down. I read, and read, and read. Fantastic. I would reccomend this to anyone. I am currently making my girl friend read it. The way that Levy describes everyone in the book makes me feel like I know them. Its.. an amazing book.
Rating:  - A well written read - especially for a simple enthusiast
If you're considering reading Hackers, by Steven Levy you're either a hacker wannabe, or maybe the real deal looking for a trip down random-access memory lane. Either way, Hackers is a well-written narrative version of the history of "hacking" - that is, figuring out how to make computers perform tasks, often by simple trial and error; from the early days at MIT in the late 50's through the microcomputer revolution in the eighties. Not only is it well-written and organized, it gives you just enough technical data to increase your understanding of the hackers' achievements, and doesn't drown you in jargon.
I read this as research for a writing project; I use computers, I like computers, but by the end of the book I was wrapped up in a world of people who are consumed by the curiosity of what a computer is capable of. All the of real people that Levy writes about are interesting and vibrant in their own peculiar ways. And all the description of ingenuity and innovation in the sake of a good hack really gets you inspired.
I'm sure there are people who will take issue with Levy's selective coverage of the machines covered, debatably skewed emphasis on the bookish quality of the MIT group versus the crazy, do-it-yourselfers at Stanford, etc., and all of the people covered are not shown in a uniform light. But if you love computers, and would like to read about some really interesting people who accomplish some pretty amazing things, then this is a book for you.
Rating: - Several Books in One
This book can be read in several ways.
Taking it head-on, it is a true story of some real heroes of the Computer Revolution. People who got into the guts of the machine to truly understand (or "grok") how it works and why. From the Tech Model Railroad Club to Apple, these are the people who we can thank for the Internet, for personal computers and for just about any automated system we take for granted today.
Taken another way, this book demonstrates an often-overlooked way of teaching and learning. The Hackers have one thing in common: An innate desire to learn. Sometimes all it takes is putting a person in a room with something interesting, and letting them explore. That person will learn more than any book or lecture could have taught.
Finally, this book is can be a great gift for a student of computers. Just the thing to inspire someone to greater things.
Rating: - A look back at a look back
When I first read this in the eighties, it profoundly effected my life, my self perception, and my desires. I knew there were other people who shared similar interests as my own.
When I received my shipment of this book, the new blurbs made me somewhat sad. Yes, computers have become cool. The day I once wished for as a kid is here, and instead of being elated, I feel somewhat like the old man who once owned a hand-build home in the wilderness but now is surrounded by suburban sprawl and trailer trash... when all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed.
This book is still a must read, especially the first two sections! Only the last section, having been written at a time only shortly after the time it covers, shows its age. Also valuable is the brief mention at the tail end of RMS and the GNU project, which actually HAS gone on to change the world for the better (with the help of the Linux kernel). Sometimes, change is for the better as well.
Rating: - A mildly melodramatic, entertaining look at hacker history
I am a senior engineer for network security operations, who when nine years old in 1980 started computing on a Timex-Sinclair ZX-80. I probably first heard the term "hacker" when "War Games" was released in 1983. I read Steven's book because it is an early but enlightening account (first published in 1984) of the Hacker Ethic.
Consider: in a closed, self-policed environment, like the computer labs of the 1960s and early 1970s, freely sharing information makes sense. In an open, under-policed environment, like the modern Internet, deviants abuse the Hacker Ethic. Well-intentioned "white hats" may explore the phone system purely to understand its operation, but evil-minded "black hats" abuse the same knowledge to make free long distance calls. Does this mean information should be confined? No -- full disclosure is still the best way to counter black hat activity.
Steven lays the groundwork for these thoughts, and serves up gems from hacker history. His 1970s quote from Popular Electronics editor Les Solomon is the earliest reference I know linking hacking to kung fu: "The computer is...an art form. It's the ultimate martial art." Steven also shares tales of Sierra On-Line, Apple Corp., Homebrew Computer Club, the Altair, and even Bill Gates' 1975 rant against software piracy.
"Hackers" will make you appreciate your unlimited access to the machine on which you're reading this review. Hackers of the 1960s and 1970s would have given their first born child to possess the power and availability of modern PCs; now we take PCs for granted, like indoor plumbing or refrigeration!
Those who lived the early days of PCs will enjoy Steven's trip down memory lane. Those who are younger will discover the true meaning of the word "hacker" -- one who promotes access, freedom, decentralization, meritocracy, art, and joy through computers.
|
