Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, 9780385312103 (0385312105), Delta, 1985

Steven Levy's classic book explains why the misuse of the word "hackers" to describe computer criminals does a terrible disservice to many important shapers of the digital revolution. Levy follows members of an MIT model railroad club--a group of brilliant budding electrical engineers and computer innovators--from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s. These eccentric characters used the term "hack" to describe a clever way of improving the electronic system that ran their massive railroad. And as they started designing clever ways to improve computer systems, "hack" moved over with them. These maverick characters were often fanatics who did not always restrict themselves to the letter of the law and who devoted themselves to what became known as "The Hacker Ethic." The book traces the history of hackers, from finagling access to clunky computer-card-punching machines to uncovering the inner secrets of what would become the Internet. This story of brilliant, eccentric, flawed, and often funny people devoted to their dream of a better world will appeal to a wide audience.

"A remarkable collection of characters . . . courageously exploring mindspace, an inner world where nobody had ever been before." -- The New York Times

A classic reissued for the first time in trade paperback with a new afterword from the author, this is the story of the true pioneers of the computer revolution--the young mavericks and renegades who hacked their way into controlling an industry. Levy's monthly column appear in MacWorld.

About the Author

Steven Levy is also the author of Crypto: When the Code Rebels Beat the Government-Saving Privacy in the Digital Age and the chief technology writer for Newsweek. He is a regular contributor to numerous publications including Macworld and Wired.

Comments

Amazing Books

Deadly Dermatologic Diseases: Clinicopathologic Atlas and Text

Springer, 2007

Dermatology textbooks exist in abundance. They include classics, such as Lever’s Histopathology of the Skin, which have gone through several editions, as well as a burgeoning number of newer titles. They have served practitioners of pathology and dermatology well. However, the diagnosis and treatment of deadly dermatologic...

Astronomy with a Home Computer (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series)

Springer, 2010

Here is a one-volume guide to just about everything computer-related for amateur astronomers!

Today’s amateur astronomy is inextricably linked to personal computers. Computer-controlled "go-to" telescopes are inexpensive. CCD and webcam imaging make intensive use of the technology for capturing and processing...

ADempiere 3.4 ERP Solutions

Packt Publishing, 2009

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are essential in today's business market. There are many options for ERP systems; however, ADempiere offers a solid foundation for developing a powerful ERP system that helps your business to manage data efficiently, streamline different processes, lower costs, and improve the efficiency levels without too...

Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change

Addison Wesley, 1999

Software development projects can be fun, productive, and even daring. Yet they can consistently deliver value to a business and remain under control.

Extreme Programming (XP) was conceived and developed to address the specific needs of software development conducted by small teams in the face of vague and changing requirements. This...

Beginning Reactive Programming with Swift: Using RxSwift, Amazon Web Services, and JSON with iOS and macOS

Apress, 2018

Learn the basics of reactive programming and how it makes apps more responsive. This book shows you how to incorporate reactive programming into existing development products and cycles using RXSwift and RXCocoa on iOS and Mac.

As we move away from the traditional paradigm of typing or touching one step at a...

LDAP Metadirectory Provisioning Methodology: a step by step method to implementing LDAP based metadirectory provisioning

Writer's Showcase Press, 2003

This work provides system architects a methodology for the implementation of x.500 and LDAP based metadirectory provisioning systems. In addition this work assists in the business process analysis that accompanies any deployment. DOC Safe Harbor & European Commission’s Directive on Data Protection (Directive 95/46/EC) issues are also...