The Dream Machine：J.C.R. Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal

Lickliderwasabrilliantscientistwhoseessentialcontributionstocognitivepsychologyandcyberneticsincludedcriticalearlydevelopmentsinthefieldofman-machineinteraction.However,hisoriginalworkisoftenovershadowedbyhisaccomplishmentsasateacher,administratorandprojectleaderandthisablywrittenandwell-researchedbiographyisn'tlikelytopropelhimintothelimelight.Waldrop(Man-MadeMinds)devotesabout20%ofthebooktoLickliderhimself;therestcovershisteachers,colleaguesandstudentsatMITandthePentagonincludingcomputingpioneersDouglasEngelbart,WesClarkandLarryRobertsandLicklider'sindirectinfluenceonthedevelopmentofpersonalcomputersandtheInternet(via"theworld'sfirstlarge-scaleexperimentinpersonalcomputing"atMIT).Tohiscredit,Waldropavoidscommonstereotypesofcomputernerdsorsaints,deliveringavividaccountofLickliderandhiscontemporaries.ButhewasnotabletointerviewLicklider(whodiedin1990),nordoesheincludematerialfrompersonalpapersormemoirs.Instead,Waldropbasesmostofthebookonsecondaryaccounts,includingbiographiesandhistoriesoftechnology.Theresultisaninformativeandengaginghistoryofcomputersfromthe1930stothe1970s,withanemphasisonLickliderandhisperiodofgreatestinfluence,1957to1968.(Aug.27)Forecast:Asix-cityauthortourwillraisesomeinterest,butthereisn'tmuchdemandforanotherhistoryofcomputingandtheInternet,especiallywhenKatieHafnerandMatthewLyon'sWhereWizardsStayUpLateandMartinCampbell-Kelly'sComputercoverthesamematerial.