• Crypto

  • How the Code Rebels Beat the Government - Saving Privacy in the Digital Age
  • By: Steven Levy
  • Narrated by: Rich Miller
  • Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (68 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Crypto  By  cover art

Crypto

By: Steven Levy
Narrated by: Rich Miller
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

If you've ever made a secure purchase with your credit card over the internet, then you have seen cryptography, or "crypto", in action. From Stephen Levy - the author who made "hackers" a household word - comes this account of a revolution that is already affecting every citizen in the 21st century. Crypto tells the inside story of how a group of "crypto rebels" - nerds and visionaries turned freedom fighters - teamed up with corporate interests to beat Big Brother and ensure our privacy on the internet. Levy's history of one of the most controversial and important topics of the digital age sounds like the best futuristic fiction.

©2001 Steven Levy (P)2021 Tantor

What listeners say about Crypto

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    45
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    41
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Requires Listening

Listtwn to this, to realize that it is now more important than ever to understand the history of the few modern freedom fighters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent history on public encryption

Thank you cypherpunks! “We stand on the shoulders of giants “ and “Stay humble, stack sats “

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wish it could be updated today

This book is a fascinating read (listen). Told as a tightly woven evolutionary narrative, it covers the history of crypto up until 2000 in easily accessible language and concepts. Even as someone who has worked in Silicon Valley since the 1990s, I had never even heard some of the stories that are included here. My only regret is that Steven Levy wrote it in 2000, and not in 2020. I would love to read his take on the succeeding 20 years.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a fantastic journey through asymmetric cryptography

I’m just now wrapping up Applied Cryptography at Georgia Tech’s online masters in Computer Science. This book was recommended in passing in the class, so I downloaded it and started listening. It does a fantastic job of peering into the lives of the small list of folks who changed our modern world. Then interactions between academia, government, and the private sector are fascinating. There are so many great stories in here that show what a strange chain of events got us to where we are now. I highly recommend this book. Its well written, well structured, and fascinating.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!