false <![CDATA[Digital Fortress]]> 11125 53 In most thrillers, "hardware" consists of big guns, airplanes, military vehicles, and weapons that make things explode. Dan Brown has written a thriller for those of us who like our hardware with disc drives and who rate our heroes by big brainpower rather than big firepower. It's an Internet user's spy novel where the good guys and bad guys struggle over secrets somewhat more intellectual than just where the secret formula is hidden--they have to gain understanding of what the secret formula actually is.<p> In this case, the secret formula is a new means of encryption, capable of changing the balance of international power. Part of the fun is that the book takes the reader along into an understanding of encryption technologies. You'll find yourself better understanding the political battles over such real-life technologies as the Clipper Chip and PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) software even though the book looks at the issues through the eyes of fiction.<p> Although there's enough globehopping in this book for James Bond, the real battleground is cyberspace, because that's where the "bomb" (or rather, the new encryption algorithm) will explode. Yes, there are a few flaws in the plot if you look too closely, but the cleverness and the sheer fun of it all more than make up for them. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and a lot of high, gee-whiz-level information about encryption, code breaking, and the role they play in international politics. Set aside the whole afternoon and evening for it and have finger food on hand for supper--you may want to read this one straight through. 40195 book 1998 Digital Fortress total:24642|5:3188|4:6795|3:9022|2:4193|1:1444| 24642 80016 29337 1843 1 8 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Tue Dec 18 17:41:29 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 18 18:55:32 -0800 2007 more...]]> 1 10 false false Thu Oct 11 08:01:13 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 12 03:02:36 -0700 2007 more...]]> 1 4 true false Fri Jun 06 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 25 13:06:30 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 25 13:42:25 -0700 2008 </p>


In short, the book is a bad novel, and a very bad novel if you know anything about math / cryptography.
Not only the technical ...

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In "Digital Fortre...more...]]> 4 2 false false Fri Sep 07 06:10:22 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 07 06:12:51 -0700 2007 more...]]> 1 2 false false Thu Dec 04 10:44:18 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 04 10:45:46 -0800 2008
I had taken two years of Japanese class before reading this book, yet my mind mercifully blocked out that quote as I read it. Else my brain probably would have shut down in disgust at the fact that this book was published.

Did Not...more...]]> 1 1 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Sun Aug 30 12:06:28 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 18:06:50 -0700 2009 The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are examples of Dan Brown at his most polished, you can only imagine how bad he was during his early career.

Actually, you can imagine, or you can read Digital Fortress and find out for yourself. But I don't recommend it. Wh...more...]]> 5 1 false false Sun Feb 15 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 10 14:26:40 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 14:52:55 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 1 false false Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Mon Mar 09 21:01:34 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 10 07:35:57 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 5 2 false false Mon Jul 14 03:58:41 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 14 03:58:58 -0700 2008 5 1 false false Mon Oct 27 14:37:43 -0700 2008 Mon Oct 27 14:54:43 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 1 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 01 19:47:44 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 01 19:55:41 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 1 false false Sat Feb 16 09:05:07 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 16 10:35:24 -0800 2008
Digital Fortress starts as it means to go on, with two-dimensional characters in a whirlwind of mystery and action. The cast never e...more...]]> 1 1 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 29 10:37:05 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 29 10:39:08 -0800 2008
This book, however, is complete crap. I have read it so you don't have to. Avoid at all costs.]]> 5 1 false false Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Apr 24 13:48:46 -0700 2007 Thu Apr 26 07:30:52 -0700 2007
As we may ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Fri Mar 06 09:27:26 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 06 09:31:48 -0800 2009

Guess what I found out, though...

Zero-Divide One of Hugh's very old and not-so-well known video games is actually the premise for one of Dan Brown's books... I'm serious! As I was paging through the character / storyl...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Mar 01 10:58:16 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 11:21:34 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Oct 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 21:28:26 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 09 10:49:52 -0700 2009 1 Dan Brown. The book lives up to my expectation.

In Digital Fortress, Dan Brown plays with computer software and mathematical programming: cryptography (security programming).

Ensei Tankado has invented an unbreakable cryptography algorithm - a program to scramble a secret ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Oct 07 17:15:43 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 17:43:03 -0700 2009
What would happen if everyone in the world had access to every top secret file? Locations of field agents, people in the Witness Protection Program, everything.... What would happen if everyone had access to this high sec...more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=4219