A review by bxtskr
Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks by Scott J. Shapiro

challenging funny informative medium-paced

4.5

I came for the clever title and stayed for all the details surrounding the infamous Paris Hilton hack of the early aughts. I learned so many things in this book — many of which, frankly, I don’t know that I’ll ever use, but which were packaged so entertainingly that I didn’t quite mind. Does this text have a tendency to get lost in the sauce? Ab-so-lutely. Does this text also wade back to the main plot line, allowing you time to stew in technical details? Yup. 

I’m not a computers person - or, at least not to the extent that the very real characters outlined here do. I can do basic SQL and have spoken to computer engineers more than someone not in the industry might. This book reminded me of hitting the bong in college and letting my engineer friends tell me, a communications major, about their classes. Did I enjoy the ride? 100%. Did I understand the ride? Maybe like 65%. 

This read is a behemoth. In this context, this is a positive. This isn’t a quick beach read and that’s okay. Each section tells a different story and while many reconnect and double back, Shapiro is great about reconnecting threads and reorienting the reader after adventuring through a parallel story. 

This has everything I personally want in nonfiction: a passionate, informed narrator, clearly detailed stories, and an author who isn’t afraid to break the fourth wall when it comes to explaining details.