Synopsis
Before smartphones, back even before the Internet and personal computer, a misfit group of technophiles, blind teenagers, hippies, and outlaws figured out how to hack the world’s largest machine: the telephone system. Starting with Alexander Graham Bell’s revolutionary “harmonic telegraph,” by the middle of the twentieth century the phone system had grown into something extraordinary, a web of cutting-edge switching machines and human operators that linked together millions of people like never before. But the network had a billion-dollar flaw, and once people discovered it, things would never be the same.
Exploding the Phone tells this story in full for the first time. It traces the birth of long-distance communication and the telephone, the rise of AT&T’s monopoly, the creation of the sophisticated machines that made it all work, and the discovery of Ma Bell’s Achilles’ heel. Phil Lapsley expertly weaves together the clandestine underground of “phone phreaks” who turned the network into their electronic playground, the mobsters who exploited its flaws to avoid the feds, the explosion of telephone hacking in the counterculture, and the war between the phreaks, the phone company, and the FBI.
The product of extensive original research, Exploding the Phone is a ground-breaking, captivating book.
Exploding the Phone tells this story in full for the first time. It traces the birth of long-distance communication and the telephone, the rise of AT&T’s monopoly, the creation of the sophisticated machines that made it all work, and the discovery of Ma Bell’s Achilles’ heel. Phil Lapsley expertly weaves together the clandestine underground of “phone phreaks” who turned the network into their electronic playground, the mobsters who exploited its flaws to avoid the feds, the explosion of telephone hacking in the counterculture, and the war between the phreaks, the phone company, and the FBI.
The product of extensive original research, Exploding the Phone is a ground-breaking, captivating book.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Phil Lapsley co-founded two high technology companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a consultant at McKinsey & Company where he advised Fortune 100 companies on strategy. He holds a Master's degree in electrical engineering and computer sciences from U. C. Berkeley and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Lapsley has been interviewed by NPR and the BBC and quoted in The New York Times and Boston Globe on telephone and computer security issues, and is the author of one textbook, sixteen patents, an Internet standard, and many technical articles.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers...
Seller Image
Exploding the Phone
Seller: Austin Goodwill 1101, Austin, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Book shows general signs of use and handling. May have light wear on the cover or edges and minimal writing or highlighting. Binding remains tight, and pages are clean and readable. Seller Inventory # CTXV.0802122280.G
Seller Image
Exploding the Phone
Seller: Austin Goodwill 1101, Austin, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. Book shows noticeable wear from use. May include writing, highlighting, or other markings, but not excessive. Cover or edges may have visible wear. The book remains complete and fully readable. Seller Inventory # CTXV.0802122280.A
Stock Image
Exploding the Phone
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00095942839
Stock Image
Exploding the Phone
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition and has highlighting/writing on text. Used texts may not contain supplemental items such as CDs, info-trac etc. Seller Inventory # 00097385771
Stock Image
Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0802122280I3N00
Stock Image
Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0802122280I3N00
Stock Image
Exploding the Phone
Seller: HPB-Red, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Acceptable. Connecting readers with great books since 1972. Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have condition issues including wear and notes/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_401542199
Seller Image
Exploding the Phone
Seller: Goodbooks Company, Springdale, AR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. This book is in acceptable condition and may have highlighting and or writing throughout. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo, dust jacket may be damaged or missing. Book may show internal and or external wear on spine or cover and may be slightly skewed or have creased pages. This is a used book so codes may be invalid or accompanying media may be missing. May be an Ex library book with stickers and stamps. Dustjacket may be missing or damaged. Seller Inventory # GBV.0802122280.A
Seller Image
Exploding the Phone
Seller: EdmondDantes Bookseller, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. Trade Paperback with only minor reading wear; crease on spine; book is clean, unmarked. In stock. Ships from MN, USA. Seller Inventory # 016647
Seller Image
Exploding the Phone : The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 20335693-n