Code Book
by Simon Singh
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Book Summary Information
Author: Simon SinghEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-06-08
ISBN: 1857028899
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Harpercollins Pb
Book Reviews of Code Book
Book Review: One Of The Best I've Read!
Summary: 5 Stars
Frankly speaking, I got interested in cryptography after reading "The Da Vinci Code"; and so I "set upon" a task to master as much of Cryptography as possible. I was seaching for cyptography books on Amazon.com and none of the books seemed to suite me. Some of them were either too complex for an amateur or too costly for a student like me, until I came across this masterpiece. Although the cover of the book does not justice to the quality of writing Simon Singh has produced, this is without doubt one of the best books for amatuer "budding" cryptographers.
Without baffling the reader with technical terms and complex words, Simon Singh has made the apparently "complex" Code-Book surprisingly readable and that's where the genius of this man lies. This book makes for a wonderful read if you're new to the world of Cryptography. This book virtually traces the entire evolution of codes from the time of Mary Queen Of Scotts to modern day computer cryptography and Quantum Computers of the future. Although at first sight the book might seem "incomprehensible", everything in the book is so well explained that even a ten year old can get it. And once you do, I bet you'll start preparing your own codes, encrypting your name maybe!
Anyway, from the first page of the book you tend to get the true essence of what codes meant to people since the beginning of civilisation. The "steganographic" techiniques, the "Caesar's cipher" and so many others and everything is so deftly explained!
Overall I would say, you won't lose a penny if you buy this book.
Summary of Code Book
The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography From the best-selling author of Fermat's Last Theorem, The Code Book is a history of man's urge to uncover the secrets of codes, from Egyptian puzzles to modern day computer encryptions. As in Fermat's Last Theorem, Simon Singh brings life to an anstonishing story of puzzles, codes, languages and riddles that reveals man's continual pursuit to disguise and uncover, and to work out the secret languages of others. Codes have influenced events throughout history, both in the stories of those who make them and those who break them. The betrayal of Mary Queen of Scots and the cracking of the enigma code that helped the Allies in World War II are major episodes in a continuing history of cryptography. In addition to stories of intrigue and warfare, Simon Singh also investigates other codes, the unravelling of genes and the rediscovery of ancient languages and most tantalisingly, the Beale ciphers, an unbroken code that could hold the key to a $20 million treasure.People love secrets, and ever since the first word was written, humans have written coded messages to each other. In The Code Book, Simon Singh, author of the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, offers a peek into the world of cryptography and codes, from ancient texts through computer encryption. Singh's compelling history is woven through with stories of how codes and ciphers have played a vital role in warfare, politics, and royal intrigue. The major theme of The Code Book is what Singh calls "the ongoing evolutionary battle between codemakers and codebreakers," never more clear than in the chapters devoted to World War II. Cryptography came of age during that conflict, as secret communications became critical to either side's success.
Confronted with the prospect of defeat, the Allied cryptanalysts had worked night and day to penetrate German ciphers. It would appear that fear was the main driving force, and that adversity is one of the foundations of successful codebreaking.
In the information age, the fear that drives cryptographic improvements is both capitalistic and libertarian--corporations need encryption to ensure that their secrets don't fall into the hands of competitors and regulators, and ordinary people need encryption to keep their everyday communications private in a free society. Similarly, the battles for greater decryption power come from said competitors and governments wary of insurrection. The Code Book is an excellent primer for those wishing to understand how the human need for privacy has manifested itself through cryptography. Singh's accessible style and clear explanations of complex algorithms cut through the arcane mathematical details without oversimplifying. Can't get enough crypto? Try solving the Cipher Challenge in the back of the book--$15,000 goes to the first person to crack the code! --Therese Littleton
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