Mass Market Paperback, 431 pages
English language
Published Jan. 13, 2004 by St. Martin's Paperbacks.
When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant and beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage ... not by guns or bombs, but by a code so ingeniously complex that if released it would cripple U.S. intelligence. Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, Susan Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country but also for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves. (back cover)
85 114 125 105 56 105 125 105 3 21 105 48 105 125 2 36
This was a very entertaining read. I'm in the computer business since a long time, and this is an older story. All the references to the old computers (and old days) really talked to me and made me smile.
I think Mr Brown did a great job writing about all this while also creating an intriguing story.
The end was most surprising. The book is a prime candidate for anyone who loves big computers and puzzles. Sincerely.
This book made me yell more than once. Dan, my dear, crypto doesn't work that way. Really. Not. And I'm very much annoyed, because I still wanted to know what happens, because suspense, you can write. But it wouldn't have been that much harder for your book to be readable by people who have some basic (really, basic) notions of crypto. Very annoying. And all of this to yell the answer to the final enigma 15 pages before the people who are supposed to be living gods actually find it. The book's premise is that NSA can decrypt everything they can intercept, except that some guy claims that he found an unbreakable algorithm. Problem is, the technical elements of the story are so bad that the whole thing breaks down. Kind of a waste, because otherwise it would probably be quite a nice thriller. Grmbl.
What Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons must feel like for history scholars. If you are even slightly familiar with the technological concepts in this book it is incredibly painful to read.
my favorite Dan brown book
My favourite from Dan Brown's work. Perhaps because of my focus on computers and security :) I liked that he got more-less all things right without being too technical.
Too slow, gave up.
Again this is one of the books that made me like computers even more.
Read during my school days and this only added more fuel to my passion for computer networks and security.
Tempted to tag this as fantasy but I'll let it go. This book challenged my ability to suspend disbelief beyond its limit.
i was a big fan of da vinci code.. but somehow this book failed to impress... i wouldnt recommend this one..
