[comp.dcom.telecom] Book Review: Loving Little Egypt

kravitz@ucsd.edu (Jody Kravitz) (10/13/90)

I saw this in comp.risks.  It seemed relevant:

  Date: Fri, 5 Oct 90 15:34:11 PDT
  From: dick@ccnext.ucsf.edu (Dick Karpinski)
  Subject: Loving Little Egypt - phone freaks
 
In Loving Little Egypt (ISBN 0 14 00.9331 1), the protagonist is a
weak sighted boy who discovers vulnerabilities in the in-band
signalling of the early dial telephone network.  This delightful tale
includes episodes of interaction with Bell, Edison, Tesla and others
in a quest to improve the security of the phone system.  Comparisons
with Morris come readily to mind.  The interactions among the blind
phone freaks also invite comparison with the Whole Earth Review
article on the facts and people involved by the Secret Service in
Operation Sun Devil.

This book uses science and technology as major plot elements, which
seems to be a major problem for folks like the operatives in Sun
Devil.  The risks involved here range from technical vulnerabilities
to serious loss of freedoms due to heavy handed tactics by
uncomprehending agents of law enforcement organizations.


Dick