Cyberpunk
outlaws and hackers on the computer frontier
by Katie Hafner, John Markoff · first published 1991
60% recommend40% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Narrative account of hackers and the early computer underground, including Kevin Mitnick and the Morris worm; readers who enjoy true-crime style tech history find it a good companion to The Cuckoo's Egg.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A journey through the computer underground, a world of high-tech rebels and outlaws.
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CYBERPUNK: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier, ISBN-10: 0684818620, ISBN-13: 978-0684818627, had a very entertaining account of rtm's youth and the creation of the worm. I have no idea how accurate the…
on “NPR marks the 20th anniversary of the Morris Worm” ↗…mindset. Some possibilities that come to mind: Hackers & Painters by our very own Paul "pg" Graham Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier by Katie Hafner & John Markoff Artificial Life: A Report from the Frontier Where Computers Meet Biology by Steven Levy Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden…
on “Steps to become a good hacker?” ↗…Asimov The Game: Penetrating The Secret Society of Pickup Artists - Neil Strauss The Law - Frédéric Bastiat Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Friedrich Nietzsche The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress - Robert Heinlein Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier - Katie Hafner & John Markoff It's Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be: The World's Best Selling Book - Paul Arden Are ones that stand out.…
on “Ask HN: what non technical books changed your life ?” ↗"CYBERPUNK: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier"[1] was pretty interesting related reading, as it covers the same story from from the other side. (DISCLAIMER: I read the book quite many years ago..) https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPUNK-Outlaws-Hackers-Computer-Fr...
on “Get an Acme Klein Bottle” ↗Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier - Katie Hafner & John Markoff[1] This book was really my entry point into the world of "hacking" as "breaking into things" and computer security, and the…
on “Cybersecurity in 1989: Looking back at “The Cuckoo's Egg” (2015)” ↗1. Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution - Steven Levy[1] 2. Inventing the Future - Albert Cory[2][3] 3. Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier - John Markoff and Katie Hafner[4][5] 4. Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker - Kevin Mitnick[6] 5. Not a book, but definitely…
on “Ask HN: What are good books on Computer History/Lore/Iconic figures in Computing” ↗…Revolution by Steven Levy.[2] And given that security will probably never not be an important sub-topic to anybody working in the technology field, some fun and interesting books to consider could include: - Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier by Katie Hafner and John Markoff[3] - The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Cliff Stoll[4] There is also Inventing…
on “Ask HN: What book should my CS1 students read?” ↗…http://www.amazon.com/Difference-Engine-Charles-Babbage-Comp... No one has mentioned books covering the dark side of hacking. There are some great reads out there, and infosec is a crucial part of computer history. CYBERPUNK: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier covers Kevin Mitnick, the Chaos Computer Club, and Robert Tappin Morris (who, somewhat inadvertently, wrote the first Internet worm). Mitnick disputes his…
on “Ask HN: How to learn about the history of computing?” ↗…Ben Goertzel The AGI Revolution - Ben Goertzel Hackers & Painters by our very own Paul "pg" Graham Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution - Steven Levy The Soul of a New Machine - Tracy Kidder Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier - Katie Hafner & John Markoff Artificial Life: A Report from the Frontier Where Computers Meet Biology - Steven Levy Ghost In The Wires - Kevin Mitnick…
on “Ask HN: Which books you have read till now that were worth investing time in?” ↗…many regards. Some of my earliest forays into the world of phone phreaking and related activities were inspired by the stories I read about Mitnick and his crew out in LA, in Markoff and Haffner's book Cyberpunk. For a while me and some of the guys I ran with would use the word "Kevin" as a sort of code-word for this stuff to avoid telling our parents any more than necessary about what we were doing "Where are…
on “Kevin Mitnick has died” ↗Well I remember reading in one or two sittings "Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier" by John Markov and Katie Hafner just before I discovered The Cuckoo's Egg and both gripped me in the same way.
on “Ask HN: Read any good books lately?” ↗The Soul of a New Machine - Tracy Kidder. A classic that inspired many people (myself included) to become interested in the computing field. Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier - Katie Haffner & John Markoff - there is some dispute about the factual accuracy of some of the book, but it's wildly entertaining nonetheless. The Cuckoo's…
on “Ask HN: What book should I read next?” ↗…disclosure: Katie Hafner is a good friend.) Katie is an engaging and skilled observer of the social aspects of our complex society and the people that populate it. Other books of hers that you might like: Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier; The Well: A Story of Love, Death & Real Life in the Seminal Online Community; A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano;…
on “Where Wizards Stay up Late: The Origins of the Internet (1996)” ↗…Works - Pinker The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Blank Charles Proteus Steinmetz: The Electrical Wizard of Schenectady - Bly Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution - Levy Artificial Life - Levy Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier - Haffner & Markoff (Note: this book is not without controvery. There is a lot of debate about the veracity of much of the material on Mitnick. However, it…
on “Ask HN: What are some must read books?” ↗I came to The Cuckoo's Egg in somewhat indirect fashion - it was mentioned in Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier by Markoff and Haffner, which was one of the first books that got me interested in computing. Not the very first mind you (I think that would be The Soul…
on “Cybersecurity in 1989: Looking back at “The Cuckoo's Egg” (2015)” ↗