Syngress Publishing Practical Lock Picking: A Physical Penetration Tester's Training Guide

An important purchase for those interested in learning the techniques of lock picking. I can’t stress how good this book is.

Look no further, this is it. Probably the best book about lock picking. Very informative with excellent pictures.

This book explains in fine detail the way locks work. The copious illustrations make it easy to understand the mechanisms inside the lock which hold it shut, and what needs to be done to open the lock without a key. I have not yet read the book completely, but I have read enough to know that this book is exactly what I need to learn what I previously thought of as a "black art." Highly recommended.

Honestly, it's a brilliantly clear manual. It explains the techniques and the underlying logics of lockpicking so transparently and simply that anyone can understand it - though being able to do it is another matter, since it involves a lot of patience and a delicate touch. He describes a variety of tools and approaches, not just the 'best' or quickest way of doing things, covering the advantages and disadvantages of all methods. He cites real-world experience (the author is a security consultant and is often paid to perform covert intrusion tests for companies) and explains the most common weak points in security systems and locks. I found this invaluable in reassessing my own security and habits.That's the underlying value of this book, and why I'd recommend it not just to lockpicking geeks but to anyone with any responsibility at all - it makes you more aware of security. You'll begin to grasp how locks are usually breached, where your home's or business' weak points are, and you'll learn to pay more for certain kinds of locks and totally avoid others based on the technologies inside them. Even if you never plan to buy a lockpick, it's a really illuminating, enjoyable read that lays bare a murky and little-understood aspect of security that should matter to all of us.

Easy to follow, good diagrams. Now I need to practise!