What are people
saying about the Happy Hacker book?
Larry Lasker, Writer/Producer
of the movies "Sneakers"and "War Games":
"We should
be thankful that Carolyn has a good heart, or we'd be in a lot
more trouble than we are."
According to the article "Tracking
the Hack" in the Nov. 16, 1998
Forbes magazine, the top inspiration for
the Hacking for
Girliez rampage was The Happy
Hacker book. Author Meinel "is its (Hacking
for Girliez) public enemy number one," asserts reporter
Adam Penenberg. He describes her book as "a kind of Hacking
for Dummies... The goal of the book is to teach 'newbies'
how to hack legally. The book's tone irks (those)... who
claim to be on a mission to show how porous most computer security
is—the law be damned."
According to security expert Winn Schwartau,
"If you've ever wanted to know exactly how systems are
broken into, this is the book for you." (Network World magazine,
May 25, 1998, pg. 41.) Click
here to see his full review.
Info
Security magazine's Michael Tucker says "Meinel...
is no threat to the public well being... Maybe one of
the Happy Hacker's protégés will end up on your
staff one day." Read the latest article Meinel has written for Info Security, which is the world's largest computer security
magazine. Because this is a frames-based web site, after clicking
on the link above, you will need to navigate to the Oct. 1999
issue to the cover story: "Intrusion Detection Special."
Mark Ludwig,
author of The
Little Black Book of Computer Viruses: "Now
you can join the ranks of hackerdom and learn how to use your
computer the way it was meant to be used! Do things you never
dreamed possible with the internet...break into computers...track
down bad guys...and have a fun time without getting into trouble
with the law. Pull up your chair, turn on your computer, and
crack this book!"
Ian A. Murphy (Captain
Zap) -- the
nation's first arrested computer hacker,Vice
President, IAM/Secure Data Systems: "This
book will show you how to become a super hacker, yet not have
the FBI or Secret Service knocking on your door. But your neighbors
sure will!"
I wished I had it earlier.,
April 18, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
from Belgium
As the target of this book is beginners, it is the BEST book
on how to get started hacking. Carolyn's knowledge about what
is lawfully right or wrong makes this book confidently exposes
step-by-step instructions on how to hack.
Although I finished
computer science degree in New York, and a master degree in telecommunication
in the UK, I had no idea on how to break into computer until
I met this book. The university teaches 'good' stuffs only, while
this book tells something 'cool' using simple commands that I'd
been using thousand of times without realising their 'other'
power!
If you are an expert
in computer security, this book is useful on how to get other
information in the net. This is convenient for a busy person
like me, minimizing search by taking advice from an expert. The
book also directs and recommends what other useful books are!
One thing for sure,
your teenage friend/niece/nephew will be tremendously happy to
get it as a present.
A great book for begining
hackers., December 31, 1998
Reviewer: A reader
from Oklahoma, USA
This was an excellent book. It was really good for teaching the
basics, and teaching that true hackers don't break the law, or
cause damage. I would recomment this book to anyone who wants
to become a hacker.
Funny, gentle, moralistic
- it serves its purpose., November 2, 2000
Reviewer: A reader
from Cupertino, CA United States
This is a most unusual book, in that it's written in the tone
and spirit of computer books from the mid-70's hobbyist days.
To those who take offense that it's not some kind of flaming-skull
testosterone rant, just go away. You've probably OCR'd the book
and converted it to Acrobat by now. I'm giving it 5 stars because
it's useful and entertaining, and presents a viewpoint almost
never seen in this macho arena. Someone has to teach the old-school
basics, and I'm glad it's Carolyn.
Reviewer: baldwin@cac.net
from Earth
You called it guys. I'm writing a hacking book of my own and
this is one of the best. From someone whom has followed the hardcore
book industry for a while, this delightful, humor filled romp
through hackerdom is among the best...
A great book for Newbies
and Some Network Administrators, October 9, 1998
Reviewer: John Arnold,
DBA (ARNOJ@netscape.net from So. Oregon, USA
This book is not for everyone - but if you would like to learn
some neat tricks, find some holes in your security and be amused
then you are here. If you consider yourself a Hacker GURU - it's
not for you, Write your own book! But for the average person
wanting to learn more, this is it! One nice thing is that it
will help you stay out of trouble with the the members of law
enforcement, it will tell you what you can legally do and when
it CAN get you in trouble! If you are looking for a guide to
get you into Chase Manhattan's main system and transfer Millions
of dollars to all of your friend's accounts, it will fall short.
It does go over the start of some nice knowledge building blocks
that can help out the average (even some elite) users and make
computing fun and safer.
I love this book....but
don't go too far..., March 29, 1998
Reviewer: A reader
from Somewhere in Pandimensional Space
This book I would say is the most comprehensive and friendly
guide to computer hacking. I wouldn't recommend people who are
too curious or immatured to read this because that would only
make Earth a more chaos place. The only thing I can say after
all, all those compliments that I have in mind, is this book
is worth reading.
Hacker Finally Sheds
Light On Newbies, January 11, 2000
Reviewer: Jason from
Phoenix AZ - USA
The book is an excellent book in my opinion. Tho some things
are quite stupid such as how to press "ESC" when it
asks for your windows password - but other ends of the book reveal
complete port mapping, download links, references to sites and
other books to purchease. For anyone wanting to start but has
no clue where to start - and wants a fast start into the underground
world - This book is for you!
This book is a good
one, January 29, 2000
Reviewer: A reader
This book is not just about hacking and doing harm. Basically,
it's nothing about doing harm. It teaches you how to do many
things from your own computer without changing it at all. This
is a great book for a newbie who doesn't want to get caught.
I would recommend this book to any new hacker.
A perfectly FINE book,
darn it., April 8, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
from Anchorage, Ak
I am not a computer wizard by any stretch of the imagination.
I am a nice girl with secret dreams of hackerdom, and as such,
I found this book educational and enjoyable. After reading halfway
through it, I've already learned many useful things about computers,
and discovered some nifty tricks to impress my less technologically
literate friends. No, it didn't teach me anything really complex,
or anything I couldn't have found on the Internet, but that's
alright. It was useful to have all the information available
in one, easily understandable and locatable source, and nice
to have it in a form that I could read during lunch or in bed.
Although it's definitely aimed at newbies like me, it isn't nearly
as simplistic or stupid as other reviewers have made it out to
be (I have to wonder whether they've actually read it . . .).
Carolyn Meinel's _The Happy Hacker_ is both a good instructor
and a good read.
Reviewer: A reader
from siberspase
If you are already
familiar with the topics of discussion in this book than it's
definetly a waste of time for you. Compared to a story book,
it would be like reading the same book twice ( why bother). As
far as outdated goes, I can pull books off the shelf from late
99 and their outdated already. The world of computers change
at an extremely fast pace. There are some things that generally
stay the same and I think this book does a good job of teaching
these things. I want some of these reviewers to think back to
when they decided to go beyond average everyday computer use.
Now imagine asking a question like "how do I port scan"
what type of response would you get, not a good one. You are
the same as those people that flamed you when you ask those now
seemingly slow questions, why, because you only have to learn
once After that you think you gain this privilege of looking
down upon people that don't know what you do. Trust me this book
will not teach you how to "hack", it will only point
you in the right direction. I've advanced to the point of being
able to penetrate systems with an uncanny ease. I don't consider
myself a hacker because I have an utmost repect for the title.
These people who are reviewing her book are probably no more
than script kiddies keeping themselves up dated on the work of
the true hackers (if even that much credit should be merited).
I consider myself to be a script kiddie also, and I have no shame.
As far as you sysadmins reviewing this book go, you had better
look out. I obliterate your college earned, security expertise
every day with my happy hackin' skillz.
It's a good book!,
February 28, 2001
Reviewer: S.M.Young
from PERAK D.R. Malaysia
I have been always interested in "hacking". I surf
the hackers' website and brought some books like Hacking Exposed(2nd
Edition), Maximum security,Firewall & Network security..just
to name a few but I always end up blurr coz alots of thing I
don't know. After reading this book, I find myself needing to
reread all the book on hacking(I brought earlier) to get a better/clear
understanding. She deserves at least 4 stars although it is for
newbies. I beginning to shift my windows OS to linux,get registered
2 shell account and plunged myself into C programming althought
I like VB.It is a stepping stone toward hacking..LEGALLY..of
course!
Buy
the Happy Hacker book now!
