Takedown -------- by Tsutomu Shimamura with John Markoff A review by Winn Schwartau Markoff is a good guy and we get along well. I know and like Tsutomu and respect his capabilities. I like thrillers. I like technical books. I looked forward to reading his book on a recent plane trip. However, "Takedown" is a 300 page tome with 280 pages of excruciatingly unnecessary minutae. Here's his story. Tsutomu wants to spend the winter skiing in Tahoe. His computer gets hacked. and he takes it personally. He reluctantly returns to San Diego to roller blade around Miramar Lake. He drives through heavy snow, eats french fries, and picks up his quasi-girl friend at San Francisco Airport after she hiked the peaks in Nepal. Tsutomu eats fish tacos at Rubios. He drives his Acura to his beachfront condo and plays with his home computer network to find out what the hacker did. Tsutomu gets irritated he can't ski. He gets hacked some more and eats healthy food while watching his computer screen. He discusses his future with Julia, while erstwhile friend John Gilmore loses her to him. He eats Thai food. Tsutomu puts together an anti-hacker team to trace down the intruder. They write some software to do the job. He eats french fries, but no burger. He goes to a conference and sits in a hot tub eating. Tsutomu tells us about spelunking on Princeton University campus buildings. He tells us what a smart guy he is. He disses friends and acquaintances. He's very irritated he can't ski. So he skis. He discover the IP Spoofing attack. He helps the "We Have No Security" WELL prove they have no security. One morning he wakes up with Julia. Another day he didn't have time to change his lycra cross-country ski clothes. He calls the FBI to aid in the Great Hacker Hunt. Tsutomu and Julia eat lunch at the WELL. Mild Chinese scallops, shrimp, snow peas and kung pao chicken. He writes more software to chase Mitnick. Mitnick continues to taunt Tsutomu. Markoff joins the hunt. He was hacked, too. Tsutomu watches Mitnick's movements on the Net and then goes to dinner with Julia at 10PM at a Mexican restaurant where Carlos Santana's father once played in a Mariachi band. He disses more friends (or ex-friends) He and Julia hate the Holiday Inn so they move in with Dan Farmer. Julia avoids a crisis. Tsutomu hates Botony. Tsutomu skates in circles while waiting for Julia at the bottom of the hill. After skating, he and Julia went to Sumarai, a Japanese restaurant in Sausalito, without taking a shower. The Colorado SuperNet, an ISP is apparently a victim of Mitnick as well. Tsutomu says that Emmanel Goldstein and Phiber Optik live "in one of the Internet's more seedy neighborhoods." Tsutomu angrily tells his loyal aid never to use the word 'assume' ever again. John Gilmore invites Julia to a funky '60's style resort for the weekend. She vascillates. Tsutomu puts off the Wired photographer. He eats a burrito in Julia's antique Mazda. He gets funding from Netcom to pursue the hacker - allegedly Mitnick. Tsutomu disses the Well. He likes the NetCom guys. Oh, oh. Mitnick seems to be in Rahleigh, North Carolina. Tsutomu disses GTE. They do a lot of technical stuff. Step by step. He calls the intruder an "anklebiter." After borrowing equipment from Sun,they all pile into a shiny blue-green Mustang to go to a brewery. Someone ate horseradish mashed potatoes. Tsutomu and crew work late doing techy stuff. They nearly run out of caffeine. Tsutomu titles a chapter, "You Lamers." He gives Robert almost $6 for breakfast. Tsutomu eavesdrops on net conversations between Mitnick and an Isreali ally. Reading other people's email is the highlight of this book. Tired, Tsutomu and friends go to Hobies and eat veggie burgers and fruit smoothies. They sleep in Julia's car. Sleeping bags cover them. Tsutomu calls GTE engineers 'bozos.' He tells us about Mitnick's upbringing and brushes with the law then he disses Mitnick's skills as a hacker. Markoff joins Tsutomu to eat at Bucky's; a V.C. hangout and restaurant. He tells Tsutomu his soup is getting cold. Tsutomu disses Pei of the WELL. They eat at Round Table Pizza. Tsutomu and telco engineers play a game of Battleship and figure Mitnick really is in Rahleigh. He flies to Rahleigh in first class, and discovers someone put apples and bananas in his day pack. He wears his Birkenstock sandals to the frozen East Coast in winter. No socks either. Julia almost goes to Denver instead of Rahleigh. Her weekend with John did not go well. Tsutomu disses the FBI to make them look foolish. On the trail of Mitnick in Rahleigh, they stop at a 7/11 for coffee. They get close, but the feds play a turf game. Julie shows up and wakes Tsutomu gently. After a snooze, they meet Markoff at the Sheraton Restaurant. Julia eats a white-bread club sandwich. Tsutomu ate grilled cheese. Markoff ate a chicken breast sandwich. Andrew nearly blows the investigation. More FBI agents arrive. They eat at Ragazzi's. The bread was fresh; the salad was strictly iceburg. The FBI and Markoff and Tsutomu go after Mitnick. The FBI figure out John Markoff is with the New York Times. He splits. The FBI yells at Tsutomu. "What's your agenda?" They are suspicious of his motivations. While waiting for warrants for Mitnick, Julia gets hungry. She buys Subway heros for all. They play more warrant games, get ready to strike, and order in Chinese food. They wait. Andrew screws up again. The FBI locate Mitnick using direction finders and cell phreaking. They bust in on Mitnick. Mitnick vomits on his living room floor. In Court, Mitnick tells Tsutomu he respects his skills. Tsutomu and Julia spend the day in their hotel room. They go out to dinner. I think Tsutomu got the girl. I just saved you $24.95 "Takedown," by Tsutomu Shimomura with John Markoff, 1996, Hyperion ISBN 0-7868-6210-6 $24.95