Z/Web

Author: Paul Graham

This is an impressive collection of essays by “hacker” (computer programmer) Paul Graham. Paul writes on all sorts of topics, from censorship to creativity, all from the unusual viewpoint of the hacker. A hacker, in his definition, is a clever programmer, not a criminal as inaccurately portrayed by the media. Hackers are not understood by the average person — a hacker’s world is inside the mysterious computer — so hearing what a hacker thinks of philosophical topics, politics, technology, and other issues is fascinating. You may not always agree with Paul, but that’s not the point. He writes well with clear analogies and logical arguments toward his theses, and the unusual perspective is designed to make you think of things in a way you didn’t before. Paul comes up with some unusual ideas as well. For instance, his essay, “What Not To Say,” proposes the concept that every society throughout history has had an unspoken list of things people are not supposed to talk about. What’s okay in one country is forbidden in another. In one time period it was okay to say something but today we see that as racist and forbidden. Or how about science: a while back you could be jailed for saying the earth revolves around the sun! That all makes sense but the key here is that in every one of those situations, the people at the time — just like us today — thought they were 100% correct in their way of thinking. So the question becomes, if someone came back to today from the future, what would they discover that is forbidden to say today but in the future is considered normal? That’s an interesting question and one well worth your time pondering. And why is that important? Paul writes that hackers, by definition, are people who think “outside the box” and they cannot do that if they are trained by society to not think certain thoughts. A hacker’s brain must be free.

Not everyone will understand or appreciate this book. However, if you’re into computers, technology, hacking, or philosophy, I think you’ll find it fascinating. It’s a surprisingly quick read for a book about such big ideas.