Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

Nightwork: A History of Hacks and Pranks at Mit

t.f. peterson

... Show More
Before the term hacking became associated with computers, MIT undergraduates used it to describe any activity that took their minds off studying, suggested an unusual solution to a technical problem, or generally fostered nondestructive mischief. The MIT hacking culture has given us such treasures as police cars and cows on the Great Dome, a disappearing door to the President's office, and the commencement game of "Al Gore Buzzword Bingo." Hacks can be technical, physical, virtual, or verbal. Often the underlying motivation is to conquer the inaccessible and make possible the improbable. Hacks can express dissatisfaction with local culture or with administrative decisions, but mostly they are remarkably good-spirited. They are also by definition ephemeral. Fortunately, the MIT Museum has amassed a unique collection of hack-related pictures, reports, and remnants. Nightwork collects the best materials from this collection, to entertain innocent bystanders and inspire new generations of practitioners.

178 pages, Paperback

First published March 14,2003

This edition

Format
178 pages, Paperback
Published
April 1, 2003 by Mit Pr
ISBN
9780262661379
ASIN
0262661373
Language
English

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for t.f. peterson

t.f. peterson

... Show More
"Institute Historian T.F. Peterson" is a play on the abbreviation IHTFP, part of the folklore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The precise time of origin is unknown, though the term IHTFP was already widely used at MIT by 1960. It originally stood for "I Hate This Fucking Place," but has been used to stand for many phrases, such as "I Have The Fucking Power," "I Help Tutor Freshman Physics," "It's Hard To Fondle Penguins", and "Institute for Hacks, TomFoolery, and Pranks." MIT leadership has adapted the acronym, using it to encourage vaccination during the 2009–2010 flu season with a banner in the MIT medical building that read "I Hate This Flu Pandemic".

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(4.2 / 5.0, 19 votes)
5 stars
9(47%)
4 stars
5(26%)
3 stars
5(26%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
19 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
xSoleily
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More
What is hacking? It is not what you think it is.

T.F. Peterson provides a vivid account of the history of hacking at MIT, starting from the early 20th century and continuing to the present.

The narrative is filled with interesting anecdotes about the origin of hacking and its evolution over the decades among the students who have become part of the MIT hack subculture.

There is an ethos and a certain mystery surrounding "hacking" as it is generally understood, which is both known and unknown to the general public.

From the famous incident of the campus police car being placed on top of the MIT dome to the hacks carried out on the football field, there are numerous examples that demonstrate how MIT hack culture has influenced students, faculty, the administration, and even extended to the wider world of other educational institutions and cities.

This is a fascinating read that gives you a taste of the unique MIT hack culture.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
AliveOrb
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More
This is one of the few books that I had to stop reading part of the way through.

The thing read like a dictionary (not even an encyclopedia!).

Given such an interesting topic, one would think it would be extremely difficult to write a boring book, but here it is!

The book claims to "detail" the visual pranks pulled at MIT over the years, yet it provides very little actual detail.

For example, it might say something like "and the dome got decorated like R2D2...", but there is very little information about how it was done, why it was done, or the reaction from the public, which is precisely what I expected and what would have made the story truly interesting.

Thanks to my husband's research (he's an MIT alumnus and didn't appreciate me badmouthing anything even remotely connected to the school), he discovered that this is just a subset of the material that the MIT museum has on the subject.

He also found that a far better book is "Journal of the Institute of Hacks, Tomfoolery, and Pranks" by Brian M Leibowitz.

If you're interested in a more entertaining book on this topic, I'd highly suggest that one, even though I haven't read it myself.

Surely, it can't be any worse than this one!
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Pecado_Carnal
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More
An entertaining look at the famous hacking (prancing) scene at MIT offers a plethora of photographs.

Many of these are quite humorous. While some involve rather complex pranks, others are simply funny ones that one can envision happening anywhere with intelligent students.

However, we must give them their due props because many of these could only occur at MIT.

I truly love and admire the more unusual and complicated pranks. They showcase the creativity and ingenuity of the students.

These pranks not only add an element of fun and excitement to the campus but also serve as a testament to the students' ability to think outside the box and come up with unique ideas.

The photographs capture the essence of these pranks and allow us to experience the humor and creativity from a distance.

It's fascinating to see how the students use their intelligence and skills to pull off these elaborate stunts.

Overall, the hacking (prancing) scene at MIT is a source of entertainment and inspiration.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Jubei07
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More
This is truly great, and it is highly entertaining as well.

It has the power to capture our attention and keep us engaged from start to finish.

Whether it's a thrilling story, a hilarious comedy, or an exciting adventure, it never fails to bring a smile to our faces and make us forget about the stresses of the day.

The entertainment value is off the charts, and we can't help but be drawn in by its charm.

It provides a much-needed escape from reality and allows us to immerse ourselves in a world of fun and excitement.

We can't wait to see what else this wonderful thing has in store for us.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Sarron
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More
The author seems to have a knack for taking a truly fascinating history, one that involves quirky individuals and wild pranks, and transforming it into a rather dry recitation of mere dimensions, dates, and building materials. It's quite a disappointment, really.

I, for one, would have been overjoyed to read a book that delved deep into the personalities that lay behind pranks such as the audacious act of placing a campus police car on top of MIT’s Dome. Just imagine the minds and motives of those who came up with such a crazy idea and had the胆量 to carry it out.

Unfortunately, this particular book is filled with great stories that are simply poorly told. It's as if the author missed the opportunity to bring these tales to life and engage the reader on a more profound level.

One can only hope that in the future, there will be a better retelling of this captivating history, one that does justice to the amazing events and the people who made them happen.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
AlexanderRP
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More

An amusing survey of the best hacks carried out by M.I.T.'s student body over the past century (and perhaps even beyond). If the photography had been of slightly better quality, this would无疑 be the ultimate coffee table book for the geeky household. Of course, considering the short-lived nature of most of these hacks, it's understandable why some of the pictures are not perfectly framed.


I do wish this book had offered a bit more in-depth exploration of the school's hackerdom culture, rather than merely skimming the surface repeatedly (they're engineers, they're geeks, they're excited from cramming thermodynamics for sixty hours straight). This holds true for many students at numerous universities: why is it only at M.I.T. that students have elevated pranks to an art form? It would be interesting to draw the connection between hacking on top of the Great Dome and thinking outside the corporate box. If only Peterson, the Institute's historian, had enlisted a sociologist or anthropologist friend to enrich his text, because I really wanted there to be more discussion about the hackers' ethos and ideals.

0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
AraragiKoyomi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More
The books was OK.

It provided a reasonable overview of the subject.

However, I also could have wished for greater illustrations or photographs.

Given the nature of the subject matter, perhaps it's not quite possible to have an abundance of such visual aids.

Nonetheless, the content itself was decent and covered the essential aspects of the topic.

It would have been nice to have more visual elements to enhance the understanding and make the reading experience more engaging.

But despite the lack of extensive illustrations or photographs, the book still managed to convey the necessary information in a relatively clear and understandable manner.

Overall, it was an acceptable read for those interested in getting a basic understanding of the subject.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Befu
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
... Show More
Well, I truly wish that GoodReads had a more advanced and refined review system. This is because I would definitely make full use of such a system for this particular review.

The subject matter of this book is truly fantastic. I have always had a great passion for reading about and even participating in pranks and hacks. Therefore, a book that focuses on this kind of thing at MIT is almost certain to be good. When I was growing up, "Real Genius" was one of my all-time favorite movies. I was extremely excited about going to college, imagining that it would consist of half high-tech classes and half hilarious hi jinks. Little did I know at that time...

Anyway, although the subject matter is delightful, its treatment in this book is somewhat lacking. The photos of the hacks, which are an essential element when discussing this sort of stuff, are of very poor quality and are only in black and white. Additionally, there are no photo captions (!), although the adjoining text usually attempts to explain them.

The organization of the book also leaves a lot to be desired. The hacks are divided up by type and then the highlights are presented, but there are frequent repetitions and no real sense of progression.

Scattered throughout all of this are "essays" by various students, alumni, and staff members about hacks and hacking. They seem to be just randomly thrown in there.

Anyway, it is a short but generally enjoyable read. However, this is in spite of, and not because of, the construction of the book. I guess it goes to show that good subject matter can often save the day.
0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.