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(125 reviews)
Author: Visit Amazon's Steven Levy Page
ISBN : 0141000511
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Format: PDF
Download electronic versions of selected books Free Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution – January 1, 2001 for everyone book 4shared, mediafire, hotfile, and mirror link
Amazon.com Review
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.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"A remarkable collection of characters . . . courageously exploring mindspace, an inner world where nobody had ever been before." --
The New York Times See all Editorial Reviews
Books with free ebook downloads available Free Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution Paperback – January 1, 2001
- Paperback: 464 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books; Updated edition (January 1, 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0141000511
- ISBN-13: 978-0141000510
- Product Dimensions: 5 x 1.1 x 7.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
Free Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution – January 1, 2001
This book is a history of the beginning, growth and rise of the use of computers by people outside of the big businesses and governments that worked to create them in proprietary silos. This 25th anniversary edition of Steven Levy's classic book retains its detailed and interesting chronicle of the events that brought computing power to the masses. It also records some of the problems, pitfalls, and failures along the way. Here you will find many names that computer lovers are sure to recognize from Bill Gates to Richard Stallman as well as many that are not as well known, but that deserve to have their victories recorded also.
I greatly appreciate that this book exists. To be honest, it wasn't always a fun read. That isn't a commentary on the quality of the writing, but rather on the ups and downs of the narrative. There were times when I found myself wishing I was there in the middle of the action and other times when I had difficulty knowing who to root for. There were still other moments when I found myself cringing as I read about events long past, wishing that different decisions had been made or disappointed at the actions and attitudes of geniuses.
I'm not going to spoil the book for anyone interested by giving out specific details. All I'll say here is that the story begins with a bunch of model railroaders who love technology and who fall in love with a computer they discover they may access freely in an out of the way room in a building at MIT in the late 1950s. They took their love of piecing together technological gadgets in imaginative and creative ways (hacks) and applied it to this new tool / toy.
I've owned this book for about 15 years, and have read it perhaps 30 or more times. The tale is familiar by now, but the storytelling is compelling, and the subject matter fascinating.