Hacker Culture

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Hacker Culture
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Douglas Thomas
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:296
Dimensions(mm): Height 229,Width 149
ISBN/Barcode 9780816633463
ClassificationsDewey:306.1
Audience
General
Undergraduate
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher University of Minnesota Press
Imprint University of Minnesota Press
Publication Date 2 June 2003
Publication Country United States

Description

Douglas Thomas offers an in-depth history of this important and fascinating subculture, contrasting mainstream images of hackers with a detailed firsthand account of the computer underground. Thomas studies novels and films (Neuromancer, WarGames, Hackers, and The Matrix) and reveals contemporary views of hackers as technological wizards, high-tech pranksters, and virtual criminals. Thomas then examines the court cases of Kevin Mitnick and Chris Lamprecht to determine how hackers are defined as criminals. Thomas finds that popular hacker stereotypes express the public's anxieties about the information age far more than they do the reality of hacking.

Reviews

"Thomas gives the reader a thorough and accurate picture of who hackers are, how they interact, and what their motivations are. . . . A strong and important read."