And I don't know if someone helped him write the book, but the story is amazingly good. It is exactly what you look for in a hacking story, someone outwitting people combined will some phone phreaking. Very good book, I would recommend.
Yes! When I was a kid I had heard his story a bit but this book was amazing and really highlighted just how far someone could go with regards to "owning" systems.
Second this, and also recommend The Art of Deception which focuses on a combination of social engineering attacks with technology vectors. Not a novel as it's really about actual security, but still worth a note.