Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
- 25th Anniversary Edition
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
Buy Now for £22.00
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
Steven Levy's classic book traces the exploits of the computer revolution's original hackers - those brilliant and eccentric nerds from the late 1950s through the early '80s who took risks, bent the rules, and pushed the world in a radical new direction. With updated material from noteworthy hackers such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Stallman, and Steve Wozniak, Hackers is a fascinating story that begins in early computer research labs and leads to the first home computers.
Levy profiles the imaginative brainiacs who found clever and unorthodox solutions to computer engineering problems. They had a shared sense of values, known as "the hacker ethic" that still thrives today. Hackers captures a seminal period in recent history when underground activities blazed a trail for today's digital world, from MIT students finagling access to clunky computer-card machines to the DIY culture that spawned the Altair and the Apple II.
More from the same
What listeners say about Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 19-11-20
Loved it, very insightful
I had a very good time listening to this. I do wish though that the updates would have been more events that happened after the book was originally released in stead of the auditorial notes at the end. Also - 1 star because(although not Levi's fault) I really wanted to punch Felsenstein in the nads for being annoying and one track minded
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- 7up Flash-kick
- 09-10-20
hacker
the best truly great 👍 what can I say do more great great great 👍
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 04-08-17
Solid and enjoyable.
Starts really strong kind of started to lose interest at the end. Would recommend listening in multiple chunks instead of consistently until finished.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michael Falk
- 20-09-23
An inspiring telling of a crazy story
This is a fun book, and inspiring. Levy collects a brilliant cast of characters and brings the “computer revolution” to life. The book focuses more on spinning a bewitching tale than on explaining the nature of the world. If Levy had somehow managed to weave in some critical analysis of his subject, it would be an easy five stars. If you want to learn the names and dates of some key figures in personal computing, this is your book. If you want to understand what it means to live in a computerised society, you should look elsewhere.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- SPYDOR
- 25-02-24
Interesting, but often dull. Mediocre narration.
Parts of this are very interesting, if you enjoy the subject matter; unfortunately many sections are insufferably dull due to a lack of storytelling, as it is written more like a timeline of facts, with the barrage of names at the start being particularly obnoxious in audio format. I can't say I was keen on the narrator either and may have preferred to have read the book myself.
Enjoyed learning about the hacker-ethic and philosophy along with a lot of the older history I was unaware of, as well as the early gaming development in the 80's. Regretably, the content is entirely US-based, with no mention of the earliest modern computers and code-breakers at Bletchley Park in the UK, during World War II, who were the vital precursors to the hackers at MIT, as I understand it. Was also expecting at least a brief mention of the likes of Vint Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee with the revised versions of this audiobook; they may not be "true hackers" but their impact on modern computing and the world in general has clearly been enormous.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Neil S
- 29-07-19
A good audiobook, give it time to get going
I thought I'd struggle with the keywords narrator's style and accent but his delivery grew on me fairly quickly.
The content is, by its nature, somewhat old now, and it was written much nearer the time of the events, so it's only through the final update in the last chapters that it gets a more modern slant but this wasn't a concern to me. The focus seemed to shift a little much to the gaming industry later, but to an extent that's reflecting the environment and the times.
It feels like a book I'll go back to after a bit of a break - at the start, some of the names flew by without feeling like I'd build much understanding and connection, but as it went on this improved.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 17-03-16
Enjoyable and inspiring
I really enjoyed this, brought a smile to my face at times but also found it quiet sad that many of these men have not been recognised for their contributions unlike Steve Jobs for example. Being a programmer myself I found this very inspirational and found myself wanting to code after a marathon session listening to it.
I do however feel that it would have been nice have at least mentioned the British hackers that made many things possible for these US counterparts.
On the whole, a GREAT listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- K
- 28-09-19
A brilliant insight into the history of computing.
This book is a must read for computer engineers, developers and geeks. Anyone interested in computing this is a must read!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matt
- 26-06-16
A brilliant story of computer history
Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of modern computing. whilst it felt slow to start, it soon picks up and provides a great insight into the lives of those responsible for technology today
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ash
- 21-05-16
Good but a little meandering...
I know it's held up as a classic and it certainly captures the spirit of the time but at times it feels over long and I wish the author had gotten to the point a bit more (in other cases a story ends just as it's getting good).
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful