If I read this book or not can be discussed, what I did was to listen to Cory Doctorow's excellent podcast reading of the book.

The Hacker Crackdown, Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier was first published in 1992. It is in that way a dinosaur in the world of computing. 1992, that is before the internet became wide-spread, computer had analog modems and computer hackers spent time on BBSes. The book discusses significant events in the history of computing, starting with the telephone and ATT, continuing with the USA crackdown on hacking in the late 80s and the formation of the EFF. There is so much nostalgia throughout the book.

I myself got a modem and started using the internet around 1995, but I had used computers since the mid-late 80s. So I was just too late to be around when the events of the book took place, but I know the time and the feeling of rapid advancements in technology. I loved that time, and I miss it. Today I enjoy checking my email with my cell phone on my way to work, but there was something special about being at home in the evening calling the ISP and connecting with a breath-taking 28800 bps.

But enough about my history. If you look for some computer nostalgia and read about the events that actually formed the future of computing, the Hacker Crackdown is a good place to start.