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kevin mitnick law enforcement well written must read highly recommend art of deception source code wanted hacker free kevin mother and grandmother great book edge of your seat technical details hard to put reads like art of intrusion really enjoyed good read even though cat and mouse
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VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars Nail-biter from Cover to Cover
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2016
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I remember the news stories, I remember the whole "Free Kevin" movement on the web, I remember reading about his release in newspapers and online magazines. It's awesome to read about these events, now, from his perspective.

I've read several of the negative comments written about this book, and I don't understand why these people read the book in the first place. They talk about not being able to sympathize, they judge Mitnick for taking advantage of people, they hate Mitnick for the way he exploited his mother and grandmother, they talk bad because they can't understand what drove Mitnick to continue to break into systems, they are irritated because of his cocky attitude. In my opinion, those reviews are more emotional than objective.

In common with the people who wrote negative reviews, I too felt bad for his mother, grandmother, friends, him, and everyone he ever used for his criminal activities. I too felt that he had plenty of opportunities to stop and get away clean. I too rolled my eyes when I read about how much smarter he was than everyone else, especially towards the end b/c it'd been ongoing throughout the book. But it's Kevin Mitnick - the social engineer hacker king - Interaction w/ people and mind-screwing most of them is expected, as is the manipulation of relationships in his favor!

My 5 stars because:
I like (auto)biographies, I am an IT professional, I enjoy narratives - this book was a perfect read for me. I could hardly put it down. It only took me a couple of weeks to read (light reading in evenings and heavier on weekends).

I was hooked from the beginning - opening word by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. The book contains a few jaw-dropping moments as Mitnick explains how he infiltrated organizations and systems. It was engaging from cover to cover - reading of how he evaded capture, how he ran counter surveillance on the FBI, how he changed identities, and a whole lot more.

You'll enjoy this book if you:
- are an IT professional
- prefer reading crime-drama novels, autobiographies, or fugitive/on-the-run type novels
- can handle a subject without hating the subjects (can you appreciate genius in a person regardless of how they use their ability?)
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Elwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Most exciting/thrilling book I've read in years
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2018
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Couldn't put it down! If you have a basic knowledge of information technology/security and the thought of hacking fascinates you, you will really enjoy this book.

If you're an ethical hacker and have some experience under your belt, you'll love this book!

Take a glimpse into the past and experience Kevin Mitnick's story on how he got started, his successes, betrayals, lessons learned, and just the journey this man went through... during an age of extreme obliviousness to information technology and what a brilliant man Kevin Mitnik is, and one with ethics even in his "on the run" period of his life.

So good, I bought all three of his other books.

Highly recommend you click the order button right now!
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Bensonmum
3.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive detail about the phone company and their software....
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2020
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Have you ever wanted to know how the phone company employees log in for the day and send e-mails to each other? Then this is the book for you. Chapter after chapter discussing admin access and passwords. But wait, there's more: you'll also hear about all-night hacking marathons with the sole purpose of, well, there doesn't seem to be a purpose. You just hear a lot about getting access to some inner screen of the phone company and then, well, mission completed. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? I'm more than halfway through this book and so far there doesn't seem to be a single prize that the "world's greatest hacker" (as the author keeps telling us), that I'd want. If Kevin Mitnick sidled up to me today and said, "psst, hey buddy, how would you like a list of usernames for people that work at the phone company?" I'd say, "no thanks. Sounds pretty pointless." Maybe this is a book that appeals to people that get real excited at the prospect of making a free phone call with a stolen password. I'm just not in that category.
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R. Straw
5.0 out of 5 stars I Can't Put It Down
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016
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I only have a couple free hours at night, and a few hours in the weekend to read. Every moment free I've had since last week, I have spent reading. Only four days, I am on page 162. This book is one of the best I read. Oddly, Catch Me If You Can is one of my favorite movies. The book is kind of on the same lines but Kevin hacked and used social engineering for people information. Frank in the movie used social engineering for conning people and stealing. Kevin never stole from people.
This book follows Kevin from the time he was around 8, learning to pick locks. I laughed and thought, "at 8 I was playing with Barbies, what a waste of my time." Kevin Mitnick writes in a way that most people can understand and explains every term. Heck he explains how he did everything he accomplished. Ghost in the Wires is a fascinating book. If I had three full free days, I'd have it finished by now. I can't put it down.
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Kanan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read! 5/5!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2018
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An eye opening read from someone who was at the beginning of the computer revolution... Kevin Mitnicks exploits from those early days are simply astounding... His great technical skill and likeable personality makes him a much more relatable hero... After numerous successful exploits and evading the authorities until his ultimate capture show the reader his great expertise at defeating secure networks and computer systems as well as the complexity of such hacks... As someone studying a BSc in Computing this book was of great interest to me... For anyone with a passing interest in computing this is a must read... 5/5!
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Jason Griffiths
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and eye opening
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2018
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I don't often read and find it difficult for some books to keep my interest. With that being said I really enjoyed reading this book, finding that I didn't want to put it down. The story line is captivating and exciting, but also gives you an insight to how vunerable we are today. I admire Kevin's dedication and persistence with everything mentioned in this book. I'd definitely recommend this.
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fl1bbl3
5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly honest account
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2012
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Much has been written about Kevin Mitnick and unknowingly some of it even briefly stumbled upon the truth. Those factual nuggets were, however, mired in a morass of of lies and half-truths leading to the creation of a reputation of almost mythical proportions. Here then is the warts and all factual account of what happened. Some may take umbrage at the fact its not written as a massive apology note, but many others (including myself) would rather see everything as it happened stripped of media hype and fud. Anyone who says that Kevin shows no remorse whatsoever clearly hasn't read the book, it may be directed towards some of his close family and friends, but it IS there. He doesn't show much remorse for some organisations that he may have intruded upon, but given the length of his incarceration and the way in which simple acts were blown out of all proportions (he doesn't eat babies and he can't launch missiles by whistling) anyone who takes offense would be advised to walk a mile in his shoes and then see how forgiving they felt then. I've seen some negative commentary from some others who say that the content is too out of date. To those I would suggest putting "define history" into a popular search engine. This is an autobiographical account of what happened, it deals with the what, where, why and how of Kevin Mitnick. I laughed at sections of the book, both in terms of the crazy stunts he pulled as a youngster and the sheer chutzpah he showed in carrying out most of his attacks. Other sections adequately conveyed the remorse he felt towards his immediate family and the fear he lived with whilst on the run from the authorities. Hackers aren't particularly known for being erudite, but this is remarkably well written. I hope this gets picked up as a movie or a TV series, its certainly worthy of one.
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Whistlewhileyouwork
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story about not only a great hacker but the stupity of law inforcement.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2011
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As someone who grew up with the birth of the public internet (ahh CompuServe) and a fan of dialing in to friend of friends houses at night to "acquire" files, Kevin's story is very familiar to me.

However this book blows away the misinformation and media hype surrounding the story and is told in a thrilling and sometime humorous way.

From the start of the book it grabs the reader and won`t let go. Both fast paced and informative, it takes the reader from Kevin`s beginnings as a fan of magic tricks and magicians, to Ham radio and of course telephones and networks. If you've heard of Kevin Mitnick i guarantee you have not heard the truth. This book clears up the myths (He can whistle into a telephone and launch a nuclear missile from NORAD) and explains that not all hackers are in it for the money.

Buy,beg,borrow this book.......Then check your computer security.

My book of the year 5/5
Thank you Kevin and good luck in the future

 The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders and Deceivers
The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security
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John Reese
5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling book by an excellent author
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2018
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Kevin Mitnick is an excellent author, and in 'Ghost in the Wires' he enables you to join him for a thrilling retelling of an exciting portion of his life. Although I'm fairly technically-founded, I can easily imagine someone new to the field of computing being able to enjoy the book, with well-written explanations for most of the key computing concepts mentioned.
I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and I strongly recommend it to friends and colleagues.
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