Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Consider: in a closed, self-policed environment, like the computer labs of the 1960s and early 1970s, freely sharing information makes sense. In an open, under-policed environment, like the modern Internet, deviants abuse the Hacker Ethic. Well-intentioned "white hats" may explore the phone system purely to understand its operation, but evil-minded "black hats" abuse the same knowledge to make free long distance calls. Does this mean information should be confined? No -- full disclosure is still the best way to counter black hat activity.

Steven lays the groundwork for these thoughts, and serves up gems from hacker history. His 1970s quote from Popular Electronics editor Les Solomon is the earliest reference I know linking hacking to kung fu: "The computer is...an art form. It's the ultimate martial art." Steven also shares tales of Sierra On-Line, Apple Corp., Homebrew Computer Club, the Altair, and even Bill Gates' 1975 rant against software piracy.

"Hackers" will make you appreciate your unlimited access to the machine on which you're reading this review. Hackers of the 1960s and 1970s would have given their first born child to possess the power and availability of modern PCs; now we take PCs for granted, like indoor plumbing or refrigeration!

Those who lived the early days of PCs will enjoy Steven's trip down memory lane. Those who are younger will discover the true meaning of the word "hacker" -- one who promotes access, freedom, decentralization, meritocracy, art, and joy through computers.


Looking into a world you thought you knew   September 16, 1999
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Hackers is a watershed work... its ability to explain technical concepts is suitable for almost anyone, but its explanation of the human concept behind the early days of the computing industry -- WHY hackers were, not just WHAT they were -- is unparalleled except possibly in The Hacker Crackdown by Bruce Sterling. You might have thought you "knew" that the personal computer came from IBM, which it didn't, or from Apple, which it didn't. You might have thought even the term "hacker" meant a malicious attacker and destroyer of complex systems, when the opposite was and is true. No matter how much time you've spent in the industry, whether you're in hardware, software or management, this book will show you how much of what you thought you knew is wrong or incomplete. The players are three-dimensional, the strands linking the storylines are bright and strong, the tone isn't moralistic, and it shows clearly how not only the Hacker Ethic began and evolved, but gives us insight as to why it's still alive, well, relevant and NEEDED in an era of know-nothing suits, IPO-driven greed, and mindless hype. Buy it. Buy two. Buy three. Give them to your friends.


a great history of the personal computer revolution   May 11, 2000
phigirl (new york, ny)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful

steven levy truly does a great job writing about computers from its beginnings as the domain of a very few select, perhaps nerdy, but extremely intelligent group of students and non-students at MIT to the explosion of personal computers in the 1980s. the book ends at 1984 (when it was first published), so it does not go into the internet boom, but up until that point it provides an extensive and also entertaining view of what was going on and who was making it all happen.

i highly recommend this book to everyone that wants to know the beginnings of our technology-driven society, whether you are technical minded or not. don't be discouraged by the talk of machines you may never have heard of or programming languages and hardware terms you're not familiar with -- these are important to the story, no doubt, but levy explains everything clearly from where the term 'hackers' orignated to why IBM 'hulking giants' were so disdained to what chip does what. and the main story being told is not in the machinery itself, but in the people.

the book reads like fiction. from the middle school genius kids who were openly accepted into the MIT hackers groups, to the cocky 19-year-old named bill gates who refused to share his code openly the way everyone else was doing with each other at the time, and to the 20-something millionaires of the gaming revolution in the 1980s, levy shows us what was happening but also gives us insight into what made these people who they were.

levy has done his research. with facts from extensive interviews, re-interviews, newspaper articles and other resources, he's managed to put together not just a story about the birth and 'growing up' of personal computing, but also show us the human spirit of these geniuses and artists. if you are at all interested in 'hacking' (whether computer-based or otherwise) this book will doubtless inspire you to spend sleepless nights working on your creations knowing that amazing things can happen when you put your mind to it.

as a woman, i'm only sorry that there weren't more women hackers to admire and look up to among all the men, but then, that's not a flaw of the book so much as a sad truth of history.

this book may be out of print, but it is not outdated, and well worth searching through a few used bookstores to find a copy. borrow mine if you must :)


An impeccable classic!   March 26, 1999
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Let's see, where to begin... I have recommended this book to many people, even those not heavily involved with computers, simply because it is such a wonderful read. In a nutshell, I learned about computer history in a very enjoyable way--through the eyes of those who lived and breathed it. This book is a series of stories, beutifully narrated and colorfully depicted.

I loved the part about Bill Gates! Read this and you will understand much about the "genius" behind the man, and the abrasion once-upon-a-time created between him and the rest of the world. (Much of the Microsoft--Gates--backlash today is a mere extension of what occurred back then, at the hacker meetings, when Gates was only 19 yrs. old).

Likewise, much of the substance of what is now known as "open-source" is also an extension of how things were in the beginning of computers. Call it an extension, call it a revival, but the "hacker ethic" (as described in the book) is, in my opinion, the true seed of what has become the biggest phenomenom (the open-source movement) in the software industry today.

This book should be a recommended reading for computer science and MIS students in all responsible minded universities and colleges. The ideas expressed in this book are not about computers, not about machines. They are about people--their feelings, dreams, motivations, AND MORALS.

And it is about a vision. A vision that applies to one's work--whether in computers or not--to help others, and contribute one's part to make the world a better place for the next person.

All those fuzzy things aside, this book is impeccable in its style and content. My regards to the authors, editors, publishers, and interviewees of this book. Hands down, it is one of the best books I have ever read. --Daniel


Must read to understand the beginning of modern computers   September 26, 2003
Robert C. Benedict (Napa, CA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Don't read this book as an A to Z or a history book. Read it if you want to FEEL the beginning. Did you ever hack something? Ever flip a character bit in an early role-playing game? Ever write assembly code on a PDP-11? Ever own an Apple II? The three eras covered in this book really take you into the experience and give you a sense of what it was like in the early days of this industry. And Stephen Levy is a great writer. I read everything he writes cover to cover with ease and interest.