Customer Reviews

Steal This Computer Book 2 : What They Won't Tell You About the Internet

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The copyright date of this book is 2001, but if feels like it is 1985. The author mainly dwells on security issues for DOS, but he occasionally mentions "newer" operating systems like Windows 95 (sic!). Why the word "internet" is prominent in the title, is beyond me. What is said about the internet is little and shallow. Windows XP and MacOS X are never mentioned and everytime Windows 2000 is briefly mentioned, you can feel that the author adds it, just to prove that some things in the text have been updated at least once the last 10 years. The accompanying CD contained not one single program that interests me today.

Okay, if you've been on the 'net for awhile, you pretty much can spot what is a scam and what isn't... but sometimes you're not sure and that is what makes this book a valuable resource.

This book covers everything from E-mail cons, non-existant products, valuable lessons on scams targetting wanna-be writers (like myself), hate groups on-line, crackers (often confused for hackers), how to protect your kids from on-line predators (along with a full run-down of their methods) and more...

On the minus side, this book tells you how to run scams of your own and I disagreed with some of the advice presented (like purchasing used or refurbished PCs. You can't know what happened before it came back, even with a warranty, you could have problems you shrug off now that turn into bigger problems later).

All in all, an excellent book, a good balance of the the light and dark sides of the internet. I'd say if you want to keep what you think is important safe, or just learn a bit about offense on the internet, pick up this book.

Reading through this book, I was somewhat amazed at the amount of things that go on in the online world, a lot of which people don't really talk about. And I was also glad I now knew more about it and knew what I could do to protect myself against some of it. While there are those that might be aghast that some of the information in this book is here (phone phreaking or "hacking somone's password," for example), I for one am glad it is here. I certainly would not ever use this information for malicious purposes and my feeling is the better informed you are about these and other online "borderline activities," the better you can protect yourself against them. I certainly feel much more informed about the so-called "darker side" of the 'net after reading this book.

Among the subjects Wang covers in this book are online censorship, sections about hackers and some of the things they do, lots of information about viruses (even how to write one and keeping your computer from being infected by one), hate groups online, "waging war against spam," and even a chapter on Trojan Horses ("Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifs!" Well, I always try to be). There's also excellent information in the book about buying a computer cheaply and where to find free software, or how to find someone via the 'Net.

If you spend any time at all online, you need to get this book.

This book would be great for someone about 12 years old with an interest in computers or someone who doesn't know anything about the internet. If you consider yourself a geek then this book is not for you. Some of the history in the book is very interesting, but that history can be found elsewhere. This book doesn't cut it. If I could go back in time, I would buy "Hacking Exposed" or some asm book. Believe the bad reviews from other reviewers. I didn't.

This is just a book that was worth every cent. The amount of info in this book is a steal. Everyone should buy this book, technical or not. If you have ever used a computer period, get this book. Help yourselves by finding out about what is out on the internet and computers. Protect yourselves better with the wealth of info and be more resource full. I found things in this book that I have been looking for for months and things I realize could make my life easier. I recommend this book to every tech I work with and every non tech. Even non technical people got intranced by the book. I read the whole book in 1 day easy and still review it everyday when I am looking for stuff.

From the seasoned Sys Admin to the newbie hacker looking for information this book is quiet interesting. As you might guess by the title, there is a "Steal This Computer Book" original that's just as enticing. There's a lot going on with this book and it includes a cd-rom for even more hacking fun. Some of this information you'll find elsewhere but this format and the style of the book is pleasing. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of information covered here and in the original. Some of it may sound familiar but most is unique or a unique take on something. If you've got or want to start a Hacker-Book collection, this book should be in it. Best Regards, turtlex.

I would have loved to have this info 5 years ago, if I was a beginner. This is a must for script kiddies and people who like to dink around with others. Explains trojans, scams, and minor script kiddy things well. Good for beginners.

Read STEAL THIS COMPUTER BOOK 2 by Wallace
Wang . . . its subtitle, WHAT THEY WON'T TELL YOU ABOUT
THE INTERNET, says it all . . . Wang knows his stuff, and he
presents it in an interesting, lively fashion . . . this is a "must"
for anybody relatively new to online existence . . . however,
even those with some knowledge of the subject (and I
consider myself in that category) will learn something . . . in
addition, there's a useful CD in the back that contains many
of the freeware and shareware programs that are mentioned
in the book.

I'm not sure that I like the idea of the whole world learning
much of what is presented here; e.g., how to harass others
online . . . however, it is helpful to know the way this is
done--so as to be protected when and if somebody else
does it . . . the chapter on defeating passwords was
particularly scary.

On the positive side, I liked the advice on how to fight
back against spammers . . . and I learned a bit more
about detecting when and if my computer is being
attacked--and what to do about this when it happens.

A great update to one of the great computer books--and one book that hackers love to hate. (Check out the reviews of the first edition.)

It's a very readable and very interesting overview of lots of underground hacker topics. The CD is a great addition with a very well-thought out and very complete selection of encryption software, security stuff, and so on. A real eye-opener.

Great read with lots of useful tools.

This is a great book to begin to understand the "ins and outs" of the world wide web. Some of the topics are a little "dated", but still provide useful advice. This book is great for anyone who wants to learn certain nuances of the net and what is lying just beneath the surface. Savvy net users will even find a trick or two in this volume to assist in "tweaking" their net experience. Take a chance and try to learn something new. This book has something for everyone. Recommend!