In most thrillers, “hardware” consists of big guns, airplanes, military
vehicles, and weapons that make things explode. Dan Brown has written a
thriller for those of us who like our hardware with disc drives and who
rate our heroes by big brainpower rather than big firepower. It’s an
Internet user’s spy novel where the good guys and bad guys struggle over
secrets somewhat more intellectual than just where the secret formula
is hidden–they have to gain understanding of what the secret formula
actually is.
In this case, the secret formula is a new means of encryption, capable
of changing the balance of international power. Part of the fun is that
the book takes the reader along into an understanding of encryption
technologies. You’ll find yourself better understanding the political
battles over such real-life technologies as the Clipper Chip and PGP
(Pretty Good Privacy) software even though the book looks at the issues
through the eyes of fiction.
Although there’s enough globehopping in this book for James Bond, the
real battleground is cyberspace, because that’s where the “bomb” (or
rather, the new encryption algorithm) will explode. Yes, there are a few
flaws in the plot if you look too closely, but the cleverness and the
sheer fun of it all more than make up for them. There are enough twists
and turns to keep you guessing and a lot of high, gee-whiz-level
information about encryption, code breaking, and the role they play in
international politics. Set aside the whole afternoon and evening for it
and have finger food on hand for supper–you may want to read this one
straight through.