I’ve read a lot of books about telephones, but my favorite is definitely Exploding the Phone by Phil Lapsley
Not only does it provide an excellent history of the Bell System, but it also tells several interconnected stories about the “phreakers” (phone hackers) throughout AT&T’s history. It’s a fascinating story and I think it should be required reading in any technology curriculum.
I have recommended it to many of my co-workers and account teams. And often if they don’t buy it, I will buy them a copy. I was on Leo Laporte’s show a week after “Captain Crunch” was on, so I gave a copy of this book to Leo. I hope he has had a chance to read it.
The Internet did not just appear one day. It was built upon decades of technology – much of it developed by Bell Labs. Everyone reading this, technical and non-technical alike, will enjoy this book and I heartily recommend it.
As a bonus, if you buy the audio book, you’ll hear it read by a famous phone phreaker named Evan Doorbell, who has done a tremendous service for us all by archiving the sounds of long distance. More on that later.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. I listen to it often during my long commutes here in Los Angeles. Please let me know if you get it and please comment on it here!
Thank you for writing this awesome book, Phil!
Roger
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