The book

Welcome to the world of John T. Draper, better known as Captain Crunch, the original "Phone Phreak". From his early days of facing off against Ma Bell to his current role in public speaking and privacy advocacy, it’s hard to overstate his impact on the world of technology. Along the way, he developed some of the most influential tools of the computer revolution, from the first working word processor in the seventies to the first effective firewall in the nineties. The road hasn’t always been smooth, however, and for every success there have been setbacks and hurdles of literary proportion. Let’s just call it Draperism.

This "warts and all" biography features Draper's own telling of stories from the past fifty years, as well as commentary and other memories from his long-time friend and collaborator. It is the story of an eccentric genius who went from being a penniless hacker to a millionaire and back again, a man so consumed by his vision that the real world around him has always played second fiddle. Featuring a foreword by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and cameos by the who’s who of early computing, this Kerouacian journey gives us an inside look at the birth of modern computing through the eyes of one of its most influential pioneers.

The narrative

This book recounts stories from my years of knowing John T. Draper personally, interspersed with collected memories from his friends and relatives, and John’s personal history in his own words. It spans his 74 years on the planet, and my 22 years of knowing him.

I have been John's roommate several times, business partner, and close friend over the years. I have always considered him a very interesting case for character study, and an unfathomable wealth of complexities and paradoxes.

I hope to have portrayed him in an honest but affectionate light. A balanced portrait of the incredible story that is his life.

- Craig Wilson Fraser

The Foreword

The foreword to the biography was written by renowned inventor, electronics engineer and programmer Steve Wozniak. Mr Wozniak, along with Steve Jobs, co-founded Apple Computer. Mr Wozniak has worked with Mr Draper a few times over the years, and has remained a long standing friend and ally.