The Hardware Hacker: Adventures in Making and Breaking Hardware

"Hardware, says Bunnie Huang, is a world without secrets: if you go deep enough, even the most important key is expressed in silicon or fuses. His is a world without mysteries, only unexplored spaces. This is a look inside a mind without peer."—Edward Snowden

For over a decade, Andrew "bunnie" Huang, one of the world's most esteemed hackers, has shaped the fields of hacking and hardware, from his cult-classic book Hacking the Xbox to the open-source laptop Novena and his mentorship of various hardware startups and developers. In The Hardware Hacker, Huang shares his experiences in manufacturing and open hardware, creating an illuminating and compelling career retrospective.

Huang's journey starts with his first visit to the staggering electronics markets in Shenzhen, with booths overflowing with capacitors, memory chips, voltmeters, and possibility. He shares how he navigated the overwhelming world of Chinese factories to bring chumby, Novena, and Chibitronics to life, covering everything from creating a Bill of Materials to choosing the factory to best fit his needs.

Through this collection of personal essays and interviews on topics ranging from the legality of reverse engineering to a comparison of intellectual property practices between China and the United States, bunnie weaves engineering, law, and society into the tapestry of open hardware.

With highly detailed passages on the ins and outs of manufacturing and a comprehensive take on the issues associated with open source hardware, The Hardware Hacker is an invaluable resource for aspiring hackers and makers.

"A tour-de-force that combines the many genius careers of one of the world's great hacker-communicators: practical, theoretical, philosophical and often mind-blowing."—Cory Doctorow, Author of Little Brother and technology activist

"Fascinating, insightful, and practical. Curious how the devices in our daily lives come into being? Want to manufacture your own project? In this well-written book, Bunnie describes the ins and outs of manufacturing process in China. A very entertaining and informative read."—Mitch Altman, Inventor of TV-B-Gone

"Bunnie is the ultimate tour guide of hardware hacking as it stands today, with an eye towards the sublime art of how things are /really/ made. The Hardware Hacker will take you on a journey through the factories of the world, covering both technical & ethical implications of the "stuff" we manufacture and buy."—Limor "ladyada" Fried, Founder & Engineer Adafruit Industries