[aculver]

Since we're talking about Kevin Mitnick on Hacker News, I have to mention:

I recently re-read "Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier". It was published in 1991 and the first third of the book provides an early contemporary account of Kevin Mitnick. It's a great book that I first read in my high school library in the 90s and it completely captured my imagination.

However, I had never connected the dots that the subject of the last third of the book was Robert Tappan Morris, creator of the Morris worm, who went on to cofound Y Combinator! Paul Graham is also quoted in the book.

The book has aged pretty great. They added an updated epilogue in 1995 in the early part of the Free Kevin era, but honestly re-listening to the book in 2025, I was wondering where the updated Y Combinator epilogue was!

[mesrik]

Agreed what you wrote. It's great and well written book. I did read the book again last fall after couple decades.

Then few weeks after finishing book I ran into his LinkedIn post (bit OT sure) if what book told was his recollection still accurate in part where book refers his work at DEC Systems Research Center (SRC) at the time. Following is what he replied to me:

" markoff and hafner did extensive research and the book is accurate in all ways i could know. note that while mitnick has paid his debt to society (jail time), i've never received from him an apologia. my only other written mention of those breakins was here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/burdens-blame-paul-vixie/ "

[e12e]

If that tickled you, I also recommend "The New New Thing" by Michael M. Lewis.

[aculver]

Say less! Appreciate the recommendation and it's on its way!