The History of the Computer: People, Inventions, and Technology that Changed Our World
Product ID: 413417897
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A MATHICAL HONOR BOOK • A strikingly illustrated overview of the computing machines that have changed our world—from the abacus to the smartphone—and the people who made them, by the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Women in Science. “A beautifully illustrated journey through the history of computing, from the Antikythera mechanism to the iPhone and beyond—I loved it . ”—Eben Upton, Founder and CEO of Raspberry Pi ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Public Library Computers are everywhere and have impacted our lives in so many ways. But who created them, and why? How have they transformed the way that we interact with our surroundings and each other? Packed with accessible information, fun facts, and discussion starters, this charming and art-filled book takes you from the ancient world to the modern day, focusing on important inventions, from the earliest known counting systems to the sophisticated algorithms behind AI. The History of the Computer also profiles a diverse range of key players and creators—from An Wang and Margaret Hamilton to Steve Jobs and Sir Tim Berners-Lee—and illuminates their goals, their intentions, and the impact of their inventions on our everyday lives. This entertaining and educational journey will help you understand our most important machines and how we can use them to enhance the way we live. You’ll never look at your phone the same way again! Review: Beautiful and informative! - This book was such a treat! I am a long time tech nerd and this book is filled with accurate and informative graphics that celebrate computer history. My nephew loves this book and can't put it down. He is learning so much and we are having a lot of fun talking about this book together. The illustrations are so impressive. It is a total slam dunk! Review: You Memory Holed Shockley! Quality 1984 Move. - Cute book. Actually, a lot of content is presented considering it is a picture book at heart. Someone else said they used this for a college class. Not a great idea. High school perhaps. Somehow it doesn't mention Shockley when talking about the invention of the transistor, only Brattain and Bardeen. That's pretty political and should be fixed in the second edition. Politics should not trump (ha!) actual historical facts. You should be ashamed of yourself. I recall Jean Horneri is somehow left out too and that is clearly just an oversight. He was as important to all of this as Kilby and Noyce. John von Neumann left out too. Good job name dropping Claude Shannon. Still, 5 stars. Great achievement.
| Best Sellers Rank | #119,223 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #19 in Engineering Patents & Inventions #235 in Scientist Biographies #244 in Technology (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 173 Reviews |
T**L
Beautiful and informative!
This book was such a treat! I am a long time tech nerd and this book is filled with accurate and informative graphics that celebrate computer history. My nephew loves this book and can't put it down. He is learning so much and we are having a lot of fun talking about this book together. The illustrations are so impressive. It is a total slam dunk!
J**N
You Memory Holed Shockley! Quality 1984 Move.
Cute book. Actually, a lot of content is presented considering it is a picture book at heart. Someone else said they used this for a college class. Not a great idea. High school perhaps. Somehow it doesn't mention Shockley when talking about the invention of the transistor, only Brattain and Bardeen. That's pretty political and should be fixed in the second edition. Politics should not trump (ha!) actual historical facts. You should be ashamed of yourself. I recall Jean Horneri is somehow left out too and that is clearly just an oversight. He was as important to all of this as Kilby and Noyce. John von Neumann left out too. Good job name dropping Claude Shannon. Still, 5 stars. Great achievement.
C**K
College Level Textbook Dressed as a Cartoon
This book was a find, and now I assign it to my college students every semester. This is simply the best, most accessible book on the history of computing that I've found. It acknowledges the contributions of thousands of people, particularly women and minorities, over the course of generations, each building upon the work of others. Don't let the art fool you. The fact that the is illustrated disguises how dense and well researched it is. There is serious scholarship here. People need to read and understand: this is the story of our times.
A**R
Finally, Computers simplified
Want to understand the workings of a computer and its history with great illustrations, buy this book. Don't do kindle, you need the art work. From here, I was able to google details. A must read for anyone who has agonized about what has happened over a hundred years and all that is in a motherboard. Breakthrough for me, a financial writer for 57 years
M**G
Cute intro to the history of computing
Purchased for my 13 year old computer geek grandson as a surprise gift, I also purchased the ebook version for myself to read and glean some vocabulary to use in a sci-fi short story I want to write for him. It’s a bit redundant between the illustrations and the text. It doesn’t give but a glimpse on each of the topics covered, but for my purposes, it works well and it’s fun to look through.
M**K
I love it
Great book, well illustrated . Easy to understand
B**B
Great
Great
A**R
Good reference
This was a gift for a teen grandson with an interest in computers
L**E
Great gift
My nephew loved this book - lots of facts, nicely illustrated and with a layout that makes a lot of information easier and more enjoyable to read
B**R
History of computers
Not what I expected. I found the book boring at times. Too many repeat items.
S**K
Tolles Buch
Das Buch ist wirklich toll aufgebaut und illustriert. Ich als Informatiker habe sogar noch 2-3 Sachen gelesen wo ich so direkt nicht wusste - Das kam gut für meine Webseite :)
H**R
Excellent
This is what i wanted thanks to the author and publisher.
M**T
Fabulous!
I purchased this book for a newly 7 yr old boy who loves learning how things work. I knew mom or dad would be reading it with him, and all three give this book 5 Stars. Older sister (11) gave it a read as well and used it for a school project. I ended up purchasing another for my teaching library and and my students love it as well.
Trustpilot
2 weeks ago
2 months ago