Computer

Blendingstrongnarrativehistoryandafascinatinglookattheinterfaceofbusinessandtechnology，Computer：AHistoryoftheInformationMachinetracesthedramaticstoryoftheinventionofthecomputer.Morethanjustthetaleofatoolcreatedbyscientiststocrunchnumbers，thisbooksuggestsaricherstorybehindthecomputer’screation，onethatshowshowbusinessandgovernmentwerethefirsttoexploretheunlimitedpotentialofthemachineasaninformationprocessor.Notsurprisingly，attheheartofthebusinessstoryisIBM.Astoryofold-fashionedentreprenuershipinsymbioticrelationshipwithscientificknow-how，itbeginswaybackwhen”computers”werepeoplewhodidthecomputationalworkofscientists，andCharlesBabbageattemptedinvaintomechanizetheprocess.ButitalsoshowshowentrepreneurslikeHermanHollerith，seeingabusinessopportunityinamachinethatcouldmechanicallytabulatetheU.S.census，createdapunched-cardtabulatorthatbecamethetechnologythatcreatedIBM.TheauthorsshowhowENIAC，thefirstfullyelectroniccomputer，emergedoutofthewartimeneedofthemilitaryforcomputersthatperformedatlightningspeedanddidnotneedhumaninterventionatanystageoftheprocess.MostinterestingisthestoryofhowthecomputerbegantoreshapebroadsegmentsofoursocietywhenthePCenablednewmodesofcomputingthatliberatedpeoplefromdependenceonroom-sized，enormouslyexpensivemainframecomputers.Filledwithlivelyinsights—manyabouttheworldofcomputinginthe1990s，suchasthestrategybehindMicrosoftWindows—aswellasadiscussionoftheriseandcreationoftheWorldWideWeb，hereisabooknoonewhoownsorusesacomputerwillwanttomiss.