"A reminder that it is up to each generation to go where no man has gone before."
— Joanna Pawel, New York Sun

"Nightwork...shows that students just want to have fun, especially engineering and technology students."
— Publishers Weekly

The Students at MIT are smart, right? Perhaps they thought of a few good pranks...

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Awesome new Prank book:  BAD BEHAVIOR 101

Forget about Punk’d. Or any of those other stupid hidden camera shows. Executing the perfect prank is an art that demands deft craftsmanship and sly cunning. Whether you’re talking about a good-natured practical joke between roommates or an elaborate hit against a nosy neighbor, nothing sends a message with satisfying elegance like a well-designed prank. But how can you, just some regular schmo, become an ultimate prankster?

Welcome to Prank University! Here are 100 essential pranks—from classics such as Doorbell Drench and Silly-String Sleep to more modern operations like Quick Leg Shave, Wasabi Paste, and Plastic Forking (you’ll have to look inside for that one, but trust us, it’s good).

This book thoughtfully includes step-by-step instructions (!) and ingenious diagrams make these diabolical schemes all too easy. An icon system denotes prank difficulty as well as the number of accomplices needed, costs involved (if any), and whether to film the event for posterity. Just remember to use this information judiciously . . . you never know when some young jokester (also armed with this book) might be coming after you.

By: John Austin
Buy Prank University: The Ultimate Guide to College's Greatest Tradition (Paperback) at Amazon

I just had to start off my Prank Book recommendations with the mother of all prank books; "If at all Possible, Involve a Cow." -If you read this book, you will in fact have a cow yourself.

This is a very funny collection of the most clever college pranks ever committed, period. It describes how Harvard students hoisted the Soviet flag over the U.S. Supreme Court building during the Red Scare and other pranks and includes documentary photographs.