I really enjoyed this book: "Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beat the Government Saving Privacy in the Digital Age" http://www.amazon.com/Crypto-Rebels-Government

I really enjoyed this book: "Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beat the Government Saving Privacy in the Digital Age" http://www.amazon.com/Crypto-Rebels-Government-Privacy-Digital/dp/0140244328/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280447492&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/Crypto-Rebels-Government-Privacy-Digit... Doesn't really teach crypto methods, but it gives a solid (and interesting) lesson about the history and thinking behind cryptology. A good read even if you're not a developer, IMHO