Further Reading |
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| There are a great number of books available on the history of computers and computing, so many in fact that it can be difficult to know where to begin. Fortunately, Kip Crosby, the president of the Computer History Association of California (CHAC), was kind enough to provide his personal "top ten" titles and commentary for your delectation and delight. |
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| Engines
of the Mind: A History of the Computer By Joel Shurkin W. W. Norton, 1984 A lively, anecdotal history of computers and computing, essentially from the sixteenth century to the 1960s. Quirky and partisan in spots, but magnificently inclusive and a great read. |
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| The Dream
Machine: Exploring the Computer Age By Jon Palfreman and Doron Swade BBC Press (UK), 1991 A computer history coffee-table book! Based on the BBC-TV series, with useful and engaging emphasis on computer history in Europe. Odd typography, good quotes, and great pictures. |
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| Father,
Son, and Co. By T.J. Watson Jr. and Peter Petre Bantam Books, New York, 1991 If the history of IBM appeals to you, this is the book to get it from, because the man who knew it best was also a really good writer. Candid, compelling, unsparing, and important. |
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| Alan
Turing: The Enigma By Andrew Hodges Simon and Schuster, 1983 Not only computer history, of course; yet this one rockets into the "Ten Best" on its technical content alone. Add in meticulous biography and penetrating character study, and the result is a permanent classic. |
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| The
Computer from Pascal to Von Neumann By Herman H. Goldstine Princeton University Press, 1972 Primarily the story of ENIAC and its immediate successors, and probably the best book on early computer history in the United States. (Unless you understand calculus you may have to skip around a bit). |
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| IBM's
Early Computers By C.J. Bashe, L.R. Johnson, J.H. Palmer, and E.W. Pugh MIT Press, 1986 (Vol. 3 in the History of Computing series) Make no mistake: this is solid, unadorned technical history, and a real slog. Yet no other book can match this description of the agony and glory of computer design at a time when even its most basic principles were still topics of conjecture. |
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| The
Computer Establishment By Katharine Davis Fishman McGraw-Hill, 1982 A fine-grained portrait of a special time -- the few years when the IBM hegemony slipped and the so-called "Seven Dwarfs" and the plug-compatible manufacturers rushed in to make fortunes. Packed with illuminating detail and scathing war stories. |
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| Hackers By Steven Levy Doubleday, 1984 The rise and maturity of the Hacker Ethic, from the Tech Model Railroad Club to the Free Software Foundation. Sometimes exalted, sometimes dismissed, always argued over, this remains a seminal work in the social history of computing. |
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| Fire in
the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer By Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1984 Yes, the desktop computer was invented by fanatics in garages. Written not long after the fact, this is the most vivid rendering of a heartwarming story, even if some of the details will be disputed forever. |
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| Accidental
Empires By Robert X. Cringely Addison-Wesley, 1992 ....and the titans moved from garages to tilt-ups, got rich, and still wore jeans. How Silicon Valley startled the world, as written by an insider with plenty of opinions. A good read by itself, and fascinating when read back-to-back with "Fire In The Valley." |
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| These notes are abstracted from the book Bebop BYTES Back (An Unconventional Guide to Computers) Copyright Information |
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