46 ratings | 5 reviews | avg rating:4.39

Joseph’s Bookshelves

read (48)
currently-reading (0)
to-read (0)

Joseph’s Friends (338)

J.L. Morin

101 books | 57 friends

M Scott

782 books | 27 friends

Christine Brennan

3 books | 46 friends

Daniel

372 books | 414 friends

Amanda Brainerd

299 books | 165 friends

May Petry

324 books | 35 friends

Ogan Gurel

1 book | 394 friends

Meg Cabot

550 books | 17 friends

More friends…

Joseph Menn

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/contributor/...

Twitter

josephmenn

Genre

Nonfiction, Computers & Internet, Security

Member Since

April 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/josephmenn

edit data

Joseph Menn’s fourth book, "Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World," was published in June 2019 by PublicAffairs and in paperback in June 2020. It tells the story of the oldest, most respected and most famous American hacking group of all time. Its members invented the concept of hacktivism, released both the top tool for cracking passwords and the reigning technique for controlling computers from afar, and spurred development of Edward Snowden’s anonymity tool of choice. With its origins in the earliest days of the Internet, the cDc is full of oddball characters-activists, artists, and musicians-who are now woven into the top ranks of the American establishment.
Hudson Booksellers named "Cult of Joseph Menn’s fourth book, "Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World," was published in June 2019 by PublicAffairs and in paperback in June 2020. It tells the story of the oldest, most respected and most famous American hacking group of all time. Its members invented the concept of hacktivism, released both the top tool for cracking passwords and the reigning technique for controlling computers from afar, and spurred development of Edward Snowden’s anonymity tool of choice. With its origins in the earliest days of the Internet, the cDc is full of oddball characters-activists, artists, and musicians-who are now woven into the top ranks of the American establishment.
Hudson Booksellers named "Cult of the Dead Cow" one of the 10 best nonfiction books of the year, and the Wall Street Journal called it one of the five cybersecurity books everyone should read. The New York Times Book Review called it "an invaluable resource...The tale of this small but influential group is a hugely important piece of the puzzle for anyone who wants to understand the forces shaping the internet age.”
Menn's "Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who are Bringing Down the Internet," was published in 2010. Part true-life thriller and part expose, it became an immediate bestseller, with Menn interviewed on national television and radio programs in the US, Canada and elsewhere. Menn has spoken at major security conferences on his findings, which include hard evidence that the governments of Russia and China are protecting and directing the behavior of some of the world’s worst cyber-criminals.
“Fatal System Error accurately reveals the secretive global cyber cartels and their hidden multibillion-dollar business, proving cybercrime does pay and pays well,” said Richard A. Clarke, special advisor to President George W. Bush for cyber security and author of Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror. The New Yorker magazine said it was “riveted” by the tale, comparing it to the novels of Stieg Larsson.
Menn is an investigative reporter on cybersecurity at Reuters and formerly worked at the Financial Times and the Los Angeles Times, He is a three-time finalist for the Loeb Award, the most prestigious in financial journalism, and a ghree-time winner of a "Best in Business" award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.
His previous books include "All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning’s Napster," the definitive 2003 work selected as a book-of-the-year finalist by the trade group Investigative Reporters & Editors Inc. All the Rave reversed the conventional wisdom on what had been the most exhaustively covered start-up of the era. The New York Times wrote that All the Rave "provides a well-documented history of one of the most celebrated collapses of the Internet. But it goes far deeper, giving an inside account of the creation of Napster, the battle for its control and the maneuvering by big Silicon Valley names to try to turn music piracy into gold."

Menn is also co-author of The People vs. Big Tobacco: How the States Took on the Cigarette Giants (1998) and a principal editor of The Chronology: The Documented Day-by-Day Account of the Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Contras (1987). He was taught advanced technology and business writing at the University of California at Berkeley’s graduate school of journalism and lectured at other universities and conferences.

Menn began his professional career at The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer. He grew up in the Boston area and graduated with honors from Harvard College, where he was executive editor of The Harvard Crimson.

...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Joseph Menn questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Joseph Menn’s books

Average rating: 3.73 · 2,144 ratings · 230 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World 3.76 avg rating — 929 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who are Bringing Down the Internet 3.69 avg rating — 1,021 ratings — published 2010 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning's Napster 3.73 avg rating — 194 ratings — published 2003 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

2 posts
Joseph Menn's Blog

Paperback out June 2!

Hi everyone, the paperback of Cult of the Dead Cow is out on June 2.
I revised and updated it, and I think it is more timely than ever, since hackers are coming together in more ways, including by protecting hospitals and vaccine researchers during the Covid pandemic.
More info on Twitter: https://twitter.com/josephmenn/status...
Oh, and I will be joining a Goodreads discussion about the book June 9 Read more of this blog post »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 30, 2020 15:47 • Tags: hacking-cybersecurity-infosec

View all 2 posts »

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

rss
Joseph’s Recent Updates

Joseph Menn is accepting questions on his profile page.
Jun 13, 2020 03:05PM · Be the first to ask Joseph Menn a question
Joseph Menn rated a book it was amazing Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World by Joseph Menn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 17, 2019 10:35AM · 1 like · like
Joseph Menn liked Ben Rothke's review of Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World: "It’s 2019 and there still has not been a movie made about hackers, that is historically accurate and demonstrative of what hackers truly do. Should someone make 'Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World'into" Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2019 10:31AM · see review
Joseph Menn and 9 other people liked Eric_W's review of Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World: " Cult of the Dead Cow is the facetious name of an early group of hackers (white hat) that began as a computer bulletin board (BBS). Consisting originally of bored but talented teenagers who enjoyed reverse engineering phone systems and early computer" Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2019 10:31AM · see review
Joseph Menn and 1 other person liked Billy's review of Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World: "A fascinating, in-depth analysis of the social groups of hackers who would go on to shape the field of cybersecurity and influence major tech companies. This book explores the ethical considerations of technology, as well issues of cybersecurity that" Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2019 10:31AM · see review
Joseph Menn finished reading Black Swan Green by David Mitchell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2019 02:57PM · 11 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Black Swan Green by David Mitchell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Joseph Menn rated a book really liked it Black Swan Green by David Mitchell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2019 02:48PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Black Swan Green by David Mitchell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Joseph Menn is now following Gar Haywood's reviews
May 20, 2013 07:06AM · like
Joseph Menn rated a book really liked it Black Swan Green by David Mitchell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 19, 2012 06:13PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Black Swan Green by David Mitchell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Joseph Menn rated a book it was amazing Skippy Dies by Paul Murray	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Really, really great novel. A little work, well worth it.
May 19, 2012 05:26PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Skippy Dies by Paul Murray <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Joseph's books…

Quotes by Joseph Menn

“If the combination of mindless, profit-seeking algorithms, dedicated geopolitical adversaries, and corrupt US opportunists over the past few years has taught us anything, it is that serious applied thinking is a form of critical infrastructure. The best hackers are masters of applied thinking, and we cannot afford to ignore them.”
― Joseph Menn, Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World

tags: hacking, hacktivism

0 likes

“Security is about how you configure power, and who has access to what. That is political,” Song said.”
― Joseph Menn, Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World

tags: hacking, hacktivism, security

0 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Choice ...: Theresa Simek's Yearly Challenges 2020	5	35	Jan 01, 2020 10:29AM

view all 4
Joseph Menn's Favorite Authors

Charlotte Bacon
author of
The Twist...

Janelle Brown
author of
Watch Me ...

Joseph Menn
author of
Fatal Sys...

David Mitchell
author of
Cloud Atlas

Joseph Menn’s Followers (56)

Add New
Videos

Joseph’s Bookshelves

Joseph’s Friends (338)

Joseph Menn

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Combine Editions
Joseph Menn’s books

2 posts
Joseph Menn's Blog

Paperback out June 2!

Upcoming Events

rss
Joseph’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

See a Problem?

Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

See a Problem?

Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

See a Problem?

Preview — Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

Quotes by Joseph Menn

Topics Mentioning This Author

view all 4
Joseph Menn's Favorite Authors

Joseph’s Friend Comments

Flag Abuse

Joseph Menn

Goodreads Author

Upcoming Events

rssJoseph’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

See a Problem?

Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

See a Problem?

Preview — Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

See a Problem?

Preview — Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

Topics Mentioning This Author

Flag Abuse

rss
Joseph’s Recent Updates