Nightwork: A History of Hacks and Pranks at MIT. T.F. Peterson - New Books - Book Review

The MIT Press, Five Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142. 2003. 176 pp. $19.95, softcover. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in addition to being one of the country's most prestigious educational institutions, also has a rich tradition of hacking. Before this term became associated with computers, it meant any sort of prank, practical joke, or other such mischief.

MIT historian T.F. Peterson has assembled a collection of hacks and pranks ranging from hilarious sign defacements to the placement of police cars and cows on top of domed buildings. The book includes plenty of photographs, commentaries by current and former hackers, and an overview of the traditions. A good reminder that scientists and scholars have a sense of humor too.

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