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The Science of Secrecy: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking

By: Simon Singh
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Fourth Estate
ISBN: 1841154350
ISBN-13: 9781841154350
Released: 04 Oct 2000
RRP: £14.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

Same old stuff rehashed - By: , 13 Jan 2001
I'm a great fan of Simon Singh. He writes brilliantly, putting over technicallly complicated concepts in an accessible manner. So I was very excited to receive this book as a Christmas present. I was less impressed when I found that this is essentiallly a rehash of The Code Book.

The Science of Secrecy is the companion to the TV series, which was itself the series of The Code Book.

OK, there may be some slight differences, one or two side boxes have been added, & the challlenge at the end is different, but you'd reallly have to have both books open together to play spot the difference!

This is probably a good book as it stands, but if you already have The Code Book, don't waste your money on this.

A fantatistic book that provides a great introduction - By: , 17 Nov 2000
I was working hard on my dissertation & needed to find out about data encryption. Other books explained the concepts in purely technical terms which I found confusing. Simon takes this subject from a historical point of view. As result I understood the subject & was able to then understand the more technical documents. Top stuff!
Excellent introduction to cryptology - By: Bobby Elliott, 13 Nov 2000
This is the best (and most accessible) book on the subject that I've read. I only caught one episode of the series on TV (it looked good but I was too busy to see any of the rest) but it tempted me into buying the book. Money well spent. The book is designed as an introduction into the subject & I found it an interesting & easy read. Having finished the book in a few days I consider myself much more knowledgeable about the subject. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in privacy & encryption - but especiallly the beginner. It should be mandatory course text for every student in the Information Age!
Simon Singh Pulls It Off - By: , 06 Oct 2000
I bought the Science of Secrecy having heard Simon Singh talk on the radio on the Monday before the first episode of the television program was broadcast. As I do not possess a PhD in maths, I was particularly attracted by his clear & understandable descriptions of what can be a highly complex & (deliberately) impenetrable subject.

The Science of Secrecy book appears to repeat what is said in the Channel 4 television series. The pictures used in the book are the same as the pictures used on the television program. The examples used in the book are the same as the examples used in the television series. As I watched the first episode of the television program on the 5th October 2000 I began to arrive at the conclusion that I had wasted my money on a book that contains effectively the same material as the television program.

However once the program was over & I sat down to work out the puzzle displayed on teletext page 360, the book was invaluable. Being able to review the details of how substitution ciphers work & also have access to a table containing the frequency letters in the English language made the process of decrypting the cipher much more achievable & effectively brought the subject to life for me.

History has never been a subject I am passionate about. However in the context of this book the historical coverage is essential to illustrate the humble roots of the topic. As the story begins to move out of the 16th century Simon Singh describes how forms of encryption that are used today have been developed & operate which is reallly why I bough the book & started to watch the Channel 4 series.

In summary, if you have a passing interest in the subject & don't intend to try any of the examples or enter the competition associated with the television series then the book is probably not of use to you. If however you intend to try the examples & enter the competition then the book is a very valuable addition to the program.

I await the development of the currently theoretical quantum computers that apparently have the ability to turn the world of encryption & hence our modern lives on their heads.