The Watchman, by John Littman

Interesting non-fiction about Kevin Poulsen, a phone phreak turned hacker, who just could not stop himself from messing with the phone companies. It's a fast paced read, but at times it seems a bit cluttered with technical jargon that only a select few can hope to understand. Other than that, it feels quite journalistic in the sense that it follows the style of your average news publication. I find that at times it relies too much on hyperboles (as perhaps does your evening news) to keep you interested. The book paints Kevin Poulsen as a unidimensional character, too much of a cardboard personification of evil someone who is actually flesh and bone. It is probably true that his personal flaws are perhaps more exaggerated than in the average person and that his behavior shows evidence of some kind of addictive tendency that pays no regard for his self-preservation. What I didn't like very much, however, was the fact that the portrait of Poulsen painted by Littman looked too much like characters from works of fiction that are completely devoid of morals or even concern for the consequences of their actions (notes of Mr. Ripley, from Patricia Highsmith's fiction). The Poulsen in this book hardly ever wanders into ethical quandaries and acts mostly on self-centered uncontrollable whims. I question whether he really was like that and believe that, as a journalist, Littman could have made a more balanced account by discussing *what* Poulsen did together with *why* did it. Was he obsessive compulsive? Was he devoid of moral programming? Was he just a deviant personality in search of power? Why did he exposed himself so blatantly in the events that lead to his capture? I would have liked to get a better glimpse into the psyche of a hacker, but this book was quite shallow in this respect.