Masters of Deception: The Gang That Ruled Cyberspace

I read this book a while ago, but I was still so impressed by it that as I'm showing a friend of mine the web page here I couldn't help but add a review. My aunt bought me this book for Christmas, and I put it down only once over the course of two days. Masters of Deception brought to me, a teenager in the computer age, a wonderfully vivid description of what it was like to be a pioneer in the world of the Internet. With 100,000,000 people on the net or however many there are now, companies have become so security aware that adventures like the ones in the book require an amazing amount of expertise. Not to mention how much damage we can do now that the computing sector makes so much money. But the point is that through this book we're able to relive the experience, with all of the wonder and naive excitement that comes with exploring new territory, and we don't have to damage anything. The book was technically vivid, emotionally engaging, and just plain fascinating.

This book is truly fantastic. If you where one of these people that used to sit hours and hours behind a commodore 64 surfing BBS's and hacking away, this is the book for you!

If you have ever walked into a computer store and you see a bunch of kids hanging around talking it's likely you have no idea what they are saying because they are using terminology that many don't know. This book teaches you some of that terminology and has a great story along with it. It also teaches you a lot more stuff about computers, but you have to read closely to pick up on it.

If you have a passing interest in computers this book will solidify it. If you have no interest in computers this book will spur some one. Well written, and informative. It gives you what you need to know about computers without overburdening the reader with details. Fast paced, yet wonderfully crafted. An excellent story in and of itself and only more excellent because its true.

What could have been a very boring and dry account of the daily affairs of teenager hackers was turned into an insightful and entertaining book with serious social value. The way the story was presented kept every character vital and kept the reader informed on what the overall picture was. The way in which it switched perspective every chapter or so also kept the plot line fresh. It stayed true to the ideals of all involved, although at times it slanted a bias towards the young pranksters, and "Masters of Deception" also succeeded in conveying what hacking is really all about. The summary at the end also provided one hell of a thought to chew on. Actually it gave you several, and that is quite possibly the most redeeming thing about this book. Not only is it a fun read, but it provokes you to think about the social questions surrounding what has become a major issue in the 90s.