What do you think?
Rate this book
The Millennium Bug: How to Survive the Coming Chaos
How will you protect yourself and your family from the coming chaos as critical computer systems crash around the world? Michael Hyatt explains the problems and shows you how to protect yourself from the worst. But, Hyatt warns, there is very little time to get ready. Start now and avoid regrets later.
- GenresComputers
303 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 1998
19 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 15, 2023
A POPULAR CHRISTIAN BOOK PREDICTING Y2K DISASTER
Author Michael S. Hyatt wrote in the Introduction to this 1998 book, “At the time, I didn’t think [Y2K] was that big a deal… I was confident that Bill Gates or some other cyber genius would come up with a solution. After all, how much trouble could two measly digits cause? As it turns out, plenty… And I began to worry. So, I rolled up my sleeves and set out to do some research… the more I read, the more convinced I became that there was, in fact, something to worry about. Something serious.” (Pg. xi-xii) He continues, “Almost every aspect of our lives if regulated, controlled, monitored, enhanced, or made more convenient or efficient by computers…. What happens if some---or all!---of them crash?... I am convinced that the Y2K problem presents us with, potentially, the most significant, extensive, and disruptive crisis we have ever faced.” (Pg. xviii-xix)
He explains in the first chapter, “The Millennium Big creates enormous problems in all kinds of date-based calculations. Noncompliant computers have FOUR specific problems with January 1, 2000: 1. It starts with a ‘2.’ Some programs … will only recognize years beginning with a ‘1.’ It ends with zeroes. Some random-number generators … use the computer’s system date and divide by the last two numbers. These programs … lock up or crash when they try to divide by ’00.’ 3. It starts on a Saturday. Many programs use a ‘day-of-week’ function… The problem is that January 1, 1900, was a Monday; January 1, 2000, is a Saturday. If the computer thinks the year is 1900 … the vault will swing open on Saturday and lock shut on Thursday… 4. It is a leap year… 1900 was NOT a leap year; the year 2000 is. Therefore, if the computer doesn’t account for the fact that 2000 will have a February 29, then all kinds of calculations will be off, including billing cycles.” (Pg. 6-7)
He suggests, “Perhaps the scariest part of the whole Y2K repair effort is the miserable record that corporate software developers have in completing projects on time. As Newsweek asked, ‘When did you last see a huge software project that met its deadline and worked perfectly?’” (Pg. 36)
He reports, “[the] president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, warned: ‘… The checking of credentials for new staff or outside contractors… may be rushed and less vigorous…’ It is possible that unscrupulous programmers could either modify this data, steal it, or… build ‘back doors’ into the system, so that they can skirt the company’s security procedures in the future…’” (Pg. 88)
He speculates, “With your typical codehead being treated like an unwashed techno-serf over the past twenty years, should it be any surprise when they decide that the Y2K is not so much a problem as it is an opportunity to screw a bunch of technophobic executives, lawyers, bureaucrats, and other parasitic life-forms?” (Pg. 116)
He explains, “Before I outline my three scenarios, I want to give you what I consider to be a nonscenario… ‘We will not experience any significant disruptions in our way of life, and we will all live happily ever after… I have not come across anyone who thinks the Year 2000 Problem is pure hype or that all the computers will get fixed in time. Based on the facts we have seen… it is simply not a viable scenario; therefore, I have not included it as one of my official scenarios.” (Pg. 161-162)
He outlines, “Scenario 1: Brownout. The Brownout Scenario says that we will be 90 to 95 percent successful in converting our computer code… we can expect isolated system failures… These system failures will impact some other systems because of the domino effect, but for the most part they will be contained and damage will be minimal… Scenario 2: Blackout. The Blackout Scenario says that we will not be successful in converting enough of our computer code to keep everything up and running… we can expect to see MULTIPLE system failures… Scenario 3: Meltdown… In this scenario the banks would simply be shut down. U.S. currency---and that of most other developed nations---will be worthless… In addition to no government, there will be no federal troops…. If this scenario comes to pass, the public will live in a state of terror… we will be living in a ‘new dark age’ and all that that will mean: war, famine, and pestilence.” (Pg. 162-175)
He predicts, “What do I think will happen? Like the computer experts referenced above, I think we will end up somewhere between the Brownout and the Blackout scenarios. It really all comes down to whether the power grid and the banking system make it. Lose either one of these, and we will find ourselves in some version of the Blackout Scenario. If the grid and the banks stay down long enough, we could end up in the Meltdown Scenario.” (Pg. 180)
He adds in the Epilogue, “So far everything I have said applies equally to Christians and non-Christians… But there are at least four ways in which we as Christians can respond to the Y2K problem that will make an enormous difference in how it affects not only us, but also those around us… First of all, we have a responsibility to trust. If you are a Christian, you believe that nothing happens by accident… Our second responsibility is to repent. Throughout history, God’s people have always used a crisis as a occasion for self-examination and repentance… The Third responsibility we have … is to prepare… Thus, you have a choice. Either you can ignore the Year 2000 Problem … or you can begin now taking steps to prepare for what may be the worst disaster our world has experienced in centuries.”(Pg. 207-216)
He concludes, “in the face of the Millennium Bug … we as Christians have a great opportunity to witness to the world… But in addition to presenting an opportunity to evangelize, the fallout of the Millennium Bug may give us an opportunity to lead society. Remember Joseph?... I believe the Church faces a similar opportunity---not to rule, but to serve, and through serving to manifest the grace of God. But we are going to be able to do this only if we prepare…” (Pg. 221-222)
Of course, nothing ‘big’ happened on Y2K….
Author Michael S. Hyatt wrote in the Introduction to this 1998 book, “At the time, I didn’t think [Y2K] was that big a deal… I was confident that Bill Gates or some other cyber genius would come up with a solution. After all, how much trouble could two measly digits cause? As it turns out, plenty… And I began to worry. So, I rolled up my sleeves and set out to do some research… the more I read, the more convinced I became that there was, in fact, something to worry about. Something serious.” (Pg. xi-xii) He continues, “Almost every aspect of our lives if regulated, controlled, monitored, enhanced, or made more convenient or efficient by computers…. What happens if some---or all!---of them crash?... I am convinced that the Y2K problem presents us with, potentially, the most significant, extensive, and disruptive crisis we have ever faced.” (Pg. xviii-xix)
He explains in the first chapter, “The Millennium Big creates enormous problems in all kinds of date-based calculations. Noncompliant computers have FOUR specific problems with January 1, 2000: 1. It starts with a ‘2.’ Some programs … will only recognize years beginning with a ‘1.’ It ends with zeroes. Some random-number generators … use the computer’s system date and divide by the last two numbers. These programs … lock up or crash when they try to divide by ’00.’ 3. It starts on a Saturday. Many programs use a ‘day-of-week’ function… The problem is that January 1, 1900, was a Monday; January 1, 2000, is a Saturday. If the computer thinks the year is 1900 … the vault will swing open on Saturday and lock shut on Thursday… 4. It is a leap year… 1900 was NOT a leap year; the year 2000 is. Therefore, if the computer doesn’t account for the fact that 2000 will have a February 29, then all kinds of calculations will be off, including billing cycles.” (Pg. 6-7)
He suggests, “Perhaps the scariest part of the whole Y2K repair effort is the miserable record that corporate software developers have in completing projects on time. As Newsweek asked, ‘When did you last see a huge software project that met its deadline and worked perfectly?’” (Pg. 36)
He reports, “[the] president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, warned: ‘… The checking of credentials for new staff or outside contractors… may be rushed and less vigorous…’ It is possible that unscrupulous programmers could either modify this data, steal it, or… build ‘back doors’ into the system, so that they can skirt the company’s security procedures in the future…’” (Pg. 88)
He speculates, “With your typical codehead being treated like an unwashed techno-serf over the past twenty years, should it be any surprise when they decide that the Y2K is not so much a problem as it is an opportunity to screw a bunch of technophobic executives, lawyers, bureaucrats, and other parasitic life-forms?” (Pg. 116)
He explains, “Before I outline my three scenarios, I want to give you what I consider to be a nonscenario… ‘We will not experience any significant disruptions in our way of life, and we will all live happily ever after… I have not come across anyone who thinks the Year 2000 Problem is pure hype or that all the computers will get fixed in time. Based on the facts we have seen… it is simply not a viable scenario; therefore, I have not included it as one of my official scenarios.” (Pg. 161-162)
He outlines, “Scenario 1: Brownout. The Brownout Scenario says that we will be 90 to 95 percent successful in converting our computer code… we can expect isolated system failures… These system failures will impact some other systems because of the domino effect, but for the most part they will be contained and damage will be minimal… Scenario 2: Blackout. The Blackout Scenario says that we will not be successful in converting enough of our computer code to keep everything up and running… we can expect to see MULTIPLE system failures… Scenario 3: Meltdown… In this scenario the banks would simply be shut down. U.S. currency---and that of most other developed nations---will be worthless… In addition to no government, there will be no federal troops…. If this scenario comes to pass, the public will live in a state of terror… we will be living in a ‘new dark age’ and all that that will mean: war, famine, and pestilence.” (Pg. 162-175)
He predicts, “What do I think will happen? Like the computer experts referenced above, I think we will end up somewhere between the Brownout and the Blackout scenarios. It really all comes down to whether the power grid and the banking system make it. Lose either one of these, and we will find ourselves in some version of the Blackout Scenario. If the grid and the banks stay down long enough, we could end up in the Meltdown Scenario.” (Pg. 180)
He adds in the Epilogue, “So far everything I have said applies equally to Christians and non-Christians… But there are at least four ways in which we as Christians can respond to the Y2K problem that will make an enormous difference in how it affects not only us, but also those around us… First of all, we have a responsibility to trust. If you are a Christian, you believe that nothing happens by accident… Our second responsibility is to repent. Throughout history, God’s people have always used a crisis as a occasion for self-examination and repentance… The Third responsibility we have … is to prepare… Thus, you have a choice. Either you can ignore the Year 2000 Problem … or you can begin now taking steps to prepare for what may be the worst disaster our world has experienced in centuries.”(Pg. 207-216)
He concludes, “in the face of the Millennium Bug … we as Christians have a great opportunity to witness to the world… But in addition to presenting an opportunity to evangelize, the fallout of the Millennium Bug may give us an opportunity to lead society. Remember Joseph?... I believe the Church faces a similar opportunity---not to rule, but to serve, and through serving to manifest the grace of God. But we are going to be able to do this only if we prepare…” (Pg. 221-222)
Of course, nothing ‘big’ happened on Y2K….
May 29, 2012
So I was at my mother's library getting some books that were for sale at a grab bag event. I found this little gem and it made me laugh so hard. My brother is an IT guy and his birthday was coming up, so obviously I HAD to add this to my bag to send him. Once at home I HAD to read it (ok honestly only most of it) before I sent it away to the realm of gag gifts.
So since the year is 2012 and the world is still in tact and technology has survived, this book is useless. Though even before the Y2K panic and we rang in the year 2000, this book would have been terrible. Just terrible and completely without actual evidence. I remember the worries, but this guy out right says there is no hope for us to solve this problem, not nearly enough computer experts to re-write the codes... I'm glad we had such sound advice.
I've officially written to much on this book, since I don't imagine anyone reading it. Yet alone wondering if this is a book worthy of purchase. Maybe when the world reaches 2999 someone can unearth this goodreads review and know not to worry...
So since the year is 2012 and the world is still in tact and technology has survived, this book is useless. Though even before the Y2K panic and we rang in the year 2000, this book would have been terrible. Just terrible and completely without actual evidence. I remember the worries, but this guy out right says there is no hope for us to solve this problem, not nearly enough computer experts to re-write the codes... I'm glad we had such sound advice.
I've officially written to much on this book, since I don't imagine anyone reading it. Yet alone wondering if this is a book worthy of purchase. Maybe when the world reaches 2999 someone can unearth this goodreads review and know not to worry...
August 22, 2025
1 star not because of foresight but because it's unapologetically repetitive and unsubstantiated conservative self-righteous slop. But almost 2 stars because of the epigraphs, which range from Harriet Beecher Stowe to G.K. Chesterton to Joseph Stalin.
December 12, 2012
It seems that the author was trying to generate fear - yes, computer chips are everywhere but are they date dependent.
I wrote the above when I read this book back in 1999. I was right - while the financial sector had to make some major adjustments, it had very little effect in the other sectors of the community.
I wrote the above when I read this book back in 1999. I was right - while the financial sector had to make some major adjustments, it had very little effect in the other sectors of the community.
August 22, 2007
Run for the hills! Save yourself! Lots of hype predicting the worst when Y2K hits. I hated the book, but I'm keeping it as a collector's item. Some of the predictions are hysterical in hindsight.
May 15, 2011
I wasn't sure whether to rate this a five or a one. It definitely deserves a five when it comes to entertainment level. However, it really is a terrible book.
February 11, 2015
Ponderous statistics on how bad the Y2K could be, some apocalyptic possibilities.
February 5, 2016
This was about the year 2000, and what was going to happen to all of us. It didn't happen!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews