Clifford Stoll

Maybe a little too concerned with narrating every single step in the process, even the many, many failed attempts that lead nowhere. This comes at the expense of excitement in the middle sections of the book.

But that's a minor complaint, overall this was a really cracking story. I'm really impressed by how well Stoll explained topics in computer science, networking, and security to readers who may very well have never been on a network before, and who may be hearing about hacking for the first time. He did a good job choosing what to simplify, and how, to let readers understand what was going on, while not overwhelming them or talking down to them. Even more impressive given that these intrusion detection techniques were things he invented, so he had no examples to draw from, and not many people around to give him advice.

This book was all the rage in the BBS scene in the 90s, and I didn't read it then. I'm glad I finally got around to it. Maybe the longest time between putting a book on my "to read" pile and then actually reading it: about 30 years.… (more)