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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ejovi is the real deal, December 1, 2002
A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a cafe at large bookstore in lower Manhattan sipping latte and looking over a stack of FreeBSD and Linux books when I heard a voice say "Are you into BSD?" I looked up at the young man and replied yes. I have been working with computers since 1982 and I wasn't sure how much this person knew, but we started talking about FreeBSD and OpenBSD and the security problems with the new Linux distributions. I have lots of gray hair and I was blown away by how much this guy knew about BSD and computer security. It was late in the evening and they announced the store was closing for the night. As we walked out, we shook hands, and he said his name was Ejovi and he had just published a book called "Hacker Cracker." I thought to myself, "Sure... but he does know a lot. Maybe he did write a book." After I got home I searched for the book on Amazon, and sure enough, Ejovi had put out a book. Of course, I ordered it immediately and as soon as it arrived I read it non-stop. The book is an interesting adventure about how a kid from a bad area of New York City manages to stay out of trouble and learn some valuable computer skills. In fact, most of his computer education is learned by experience. He talks about using "sniffers" to get passwords and how he broke into several large networks, but he doesn't give specifics about how he did it. As another reviewer mentioned, many names are blacked out, which may let the reader doubt that these events might not have happened. If I had not met Ejovi, I might not have believed him, but I did spend time talking to him and he does know a lot about Unix and security. I found the book interesting, but I am not sure if I would recommend it to someone with only a casual knowledge of computers. He does mention a lot of computer terms and Unix commands (like "init 5") and although there is a glossary at the back of the book, I think the typical computer user might have trouble figuring it out. Still, it's a great book for anyone who works in computer networking and security.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Friend of Author, November 18, 2002
This is an autobiography, not a book about hacking. Taken in that light, the book provides a rare glimpse into the life of someone who was able to literally fight his way out of the slums of Brooklyn. What is interesting is that hacking was one of the vehicles that helped him rise above his surroundings. Hacking is just one of the challenges that Ejovi takes on in order to escape his otherwise desperate life. My review is not completely fair, because I know Ejovi. Before I read the book I knew very little about his past experiences. I was amazed by his courage in telling this story. Although blacking out the name of one of the victims of his exploits is not a technique I would have chosen, I can understand that some institutions would be too sensitive to even hint at. I grew up in Queens, where I was mugged a few times for being a skinny, white kid. I ended up in computer security for its intellectual challenge. I think Ejovi was given many opportunities to become like the thugs that beat me up, but he arrived at computer security for similar reasons to mine. He just started from a much tougher beginning. If you are looking for a book about international cybercrime or as an encyclopedia of exploits, then this isn't the book. If you want a book that describes the life of a person who ends up in the hacking community and several other places along the way, then this book is a good choice.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great look at life on the edge, January 28, 2003
Ejovi Nuwere is dangling outside a two-story building, gripped by the hand of his weeping teacher. A moment before he had jumped off the edge and now, hanging there, he belatedly decides that living on the edge is preferable to the air. Hacker Cracker is the story of Ejovi Nuwere's life on the edge, or many edges: His world of drugs, gangs, and depression; the murky world of computer hackers; and his current life as a computer security expert. This is an immensely satisfying story about an American life -- not hacking or computers. We get a look at what happens when any person -- yes, even a young black kid from Bed Stuy -- becomes an expert at something the world needs, in this case, computer security. We see how excellence leads to opportunity. We see how a strong family has given a boy the tools he needs to become a man. Ejovi and co-author David Chanoff do not reflect much on Ejovi's experiences and perhaps that is good. Ejovi Nuwere is still in his 20s and maybe it is too early to analyze. Yet, it is impossible not to wonder what he makes of all that has happened to him. This book makes you want to have coffee with Ejovi and meet his grandmother, uncle, and stepfather. Just to hear what they have to say. I liked Ejovi throughout the whole book, but I came to admire him after I read the last chapter, about his experiences at the World Trade Center on September 11. In this chapter, at last he gives us what we hope to learn from him -- and what we hope HE will learn. The end is a most satisfying beginning for Ejovi Nuwere's life on the edge.
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