Hackers
1984
- computer programming
- electronic digital computers
- programming
- computer hackers
- history
- internet
- computer science
- hackers
- maths
- mathematics
The story
Today, technology is cool. Owning the most powerful computer, the latest high-tech gadget, and the whizziest website is a status symbol on a par with having a flashy car or a designer suit. And a media obsessed with the digital explosion has reappropriated the term "computer nerd" so that it's practically synonymous with "entrepreneur." Yet, a mere fifteen years ago, wireheads hooked on tweaking endless lines of code were seen as marginal weirdos, outsiders whose world would never resonate with the mainstream. That was before one pioneering work documented the underground computer revolution that was about to change our world forever. With groundbreaking profiles of Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, MIT's Tech Model Railroad Club, and more, Steven Levy's Hackers brilliantly captures a seminal moment when the risk takers and explorers were poised to conquer twentieth-century America's last great frontier. And in the Internet age, "the hacker ethic" -- first espoused here -- is alive and well. - Back cover.
What it’s like
Dry, sunlit and warm-lit at once: the book's prose has the brisk, curious voice of a reporter who has spent long nights in cramped rooms and wants you to feel the hum of the machines. Its world is basements, dormitory corridors and lab floors at MIT, rendered through the ticking of teletype printers, the glow of green-on-black terminals, and the smell of late-night coffee and warm circuitry. The mood is nostalgic and quietly exhilarated, a bit like sitting down with an old photo album of a scene that felt like the edge of the world. Pacing is conversational and episodic, moving from profile to profile with the easy momentum of a long magazine feature, so it suits a rainy Sunday, a slow commute, or a dip-in-and-out read before bed. Intensity is very low: no violence, no sex, just tension about deadlines, rivalries and corporate ambition. Its people are obsessive, idealistic and often socially awkward, and the book follows their gradual belief that information should be free. It is for readers who love tech history, puzzle-minded people, and anyone who wants the thrill of pioneers without the jargon-heavy slog.
More books like Hackers
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Hackersand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
