Book Reviews

Ghost in the Wires - Kevin Mitnick -  I have a sneaking suspicion that I've read this book before.  It's the story of the man dubbed "The World's Most Wanted Hacker", Kevin Mitnick.  The book is interesting because the author is quite up front about what he did.  He hacked (or illegally entered a computer system electronically) into a LOT of systems.  He wasn't alone in doing that.  In some ways he was simply better and more successful than anyone else.  At the time the authorities didn't really understand what was being done and they certainly didn't understand WHY it was being done.  As a consequence they went after Mitnick and others as if they were pursuing Satan himself.  Mitnick notes that he never did his hacking for profit.  He didn't steal things to sell to the highest bidder.  In fact if the stolen software didn't help him hack a little deeper he wasn't really interested in it at all.  The entire process was a matter of trophy hunting, of challenging himself to see if he could do it.

Now that doesn't justify what he did or excuse the behavior.  He broke the law and went to jail.  But some of the descriptions and tactics used by the authorities are pretty idiotic and scary.  In the end Mitnick finds a way to use his considerable skills on the side of good.  He is now a security specialist who helps companies protect themselves from people like Kevin Mitnick.

You don't need to be a computer geek to enjoy this book (though I'm sure that geeks will get a slightly deeper enjoyment out of it than the rest of us).  Mitnick's writing is accessible and he explains the technical stuff in a manner that is clear and useful in moving the story forward.

Rating - *** Good Read

Legacy of Ashes - The History of the C.I.A by Tim Weiner - Weiner is the long time New York Times writer who has covered the intelligence community for two decades.  Here he has written a critically acclaimed history of the Central Intelligence Agency that should turn the stomach of any American at any point of the political spectrum.  Quite simply the number of outrageous, idiotic and outright deceitful actions of the Agency far out weigh its successes.  If you think doctoring the intelligence to meet the needs of its political masters or its own internal pre-dispositions is a recent trend Legacy of Ashes is a stunning shattering of that myth.  From  Allen Dulles to William Casey the CIA has a history of insisting on its own way no matter how wrong headed it may be.  It has deceived Presidents and sought to control American foreign policy.   At the same time Presidents misuse and abuse the Agency as well.
   I honestly found that I could only read a chapter or two of this book at a time (even though Weiner is a great writer and connects the dots beautifully.) before the overwhelming idiocy of the history overcame me.  From its cowboy roots in the war time OSS through the Cold War, Viet Nam and right up to today the story of incompetence, dishonesty, power grabs and out right clinical insanity is gripping.  This is the ultimate rubber necking at a train wreck.  It would be funny if the safety of our nation didn't hang in the balance.

This ought to be required reading for every voter in the nation.

Rating - **** Recommended Read

Southern Seahawk - Randall Peffer - This is the first book of a trilogy and the second book of Peffer's that I've read and reviewed (First book here).  Southern Seahawk is nothing like the previous book.  This is historical fiction centered on the factual Rafael Semmes.  Semmes was a U.S. Navy officer who like many officers of the time chose duty to his home state over duty to his country.  Here in the North we are taught to look down our noses at folks who made that choice but it was a very real and difficult choice at the time.  Semmes is given a steam powered commerce raider christened the CSS Sumter.  He would become a major thorn in the side of the northern Navy.  This first book takes Semmes from his decision to chose the Rebels through most of his time on the Sumter.
   Peffer once again shows solid skills in creating believable characters of depth and putting them in interesting and complex situations.
   I'll be honest and say that I found the book easy to put down but never easy to walk away from.  This is a portion of Civil War history I never knew.  If you love the Civil War, Navy stories, sailing stories, even a little spy story I think you'll enjoy this book.

Rating - *** Good Read