Customer Rating:  
Summary: Amusing and informative.
Comment: A great way of teaching some of the less enlightened about computer saftey some of the ins and outs. It has some wonderful information. One complaint: it doesn't really *tell* you how to certain things, just hints at how you could find out.Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Misleading, Basic Hacker Ha!
Comment: Anyone can direct you to sites about hacking. I probably found 2-3 sites useful. Not that I want to hack into a computer or thought that a book would explain how to do it but thought there might be some detailed hsitory into hacking and maybe some bios of actual hackers. It is not even worth reading. It is far outdated as technology tends to be.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good book...if you're a lobotomized 1950's technobrain
Comment: Wally-boy really did it with this book. I bought it (and blew like, a huge load of money for such a poorly, overstated book that is hardly worth the paper it's written on)...I expected at least some type of introduction to something truly elite...However, if you're one of those warez d00dz (and you know who you are...crackers (who loudly call themselves supa leet hax0rs) who are named DrDeath, FinalFury, NukeTheWhales and other ridiculously unintimidating names, this book is for you. However, for you other, half-normal (and those possessing at least half of a slightly functional brain)...Don't waste your time. This book is downtrodden with cynical humor (not that I mind, this was one of the only enjoyable aspects of the book)...Wang makes an attempt (and misses by about twelve feet) to introduce the reader/bored hacker to the (ooooo...this is the cue for spooky music) the...(GASP!) HACKER UNDERGROUND! What a creeping horror... The main interests in this book surround political problems and simple explanations of what are actually interesting concepts. Wang, with a strained effort, I'm sure, managed to dumb-down, hash up, and generally take the reader for having the IQ of a brick (or a football jock, whichever you prefer). Concepts covered are encryption (this is somewhat worthwhile, as it explains PGP and Blowfish fairly well as well as stynography (only spelled right) which is hiding text and messages in graphics) This is more of the book for people who WANT to be hackers, rather than being a hacker. Perhaps, in retrospect, this is explained in the first few paragraphs of the book as Wang exclaims "this book will not make you a hacker more than reading a military manual will make you a soldier" as if he is already aware that there are swarms of kids who will read this book and brand themselves "SUPA LEET HACKER! " without ever really experiencing (or knowing) the true hacker mindset... Overall, if you're looking for good information, turn your back on this book. Rather than dishing out twenty bucks for it, look around online. I guarantee that you will find information that is much better than what is portrayed in this book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: DONT BUY THIS
Comment: I do NOT reccomend this book. I ordered it, and I thought that maybe something useful would be in it... all this book does is explain "WHAT" hackers do, not "HOW" they do it... if you are looking for a HOW book, i reccomend Maximum Linux Security... dont hesitate to buy that one, you wont put it down! (until the last few chapters where it kinda starts getting repetitious) but it is a GREAT how book if you ask me.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Doormatt
Comment: From the outside the book might appear to contain an abundance of useful information, while in fact this is merely a disguise. In actuality it focuses too much effort on redundancy of useless information with the wrong intension. The book is great if you want to know locations of popular search engines or the local news in Third World Countries that no one really thinks exist. Some ideas were actually present, but were not presented very well and are extreamely incomplete. "Steal This Computer Book" does have a lot of potential and I hope that Wallace Wang does release newer editions of this book as promised. I am curious to see where he takes the book in the future, but for the time being, in my opinion, it needs a new cover.
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