Take-down Book

I read this book because I'm a computer professional, and I was a big fan of the movie. But the book suffers from Tsutomu's lack of objectivity.

The story of the *movie* is: Silicon Valley hotshot learns deep and valuable life lessons while getting taken down a peg by a greasy computer genius.

The story of the *book* is: Poor Tsutomu. Even after co-opting the entire California academic computing community (without pay), the lowlife shittiness of Kevin Mitnick somehow allows him to evade capture. The FBI is too stupid to help.

Another thing that the movie has over the book: Skeet Ulrich.

A good, solid half of the book is made up of ultra-detailed descriptions of various security analysts carpooling in various cars on their way to various defunct California restaurants. I really don't care.

Oh, and we're supposed to sympathize with him as his young, athletic good looks lure a young woman into several beds and hot tubs while she struggles with her relationship with a much older man.

...But it was cool to hear about VMS and tarballs from back in the day.