Re: recs on the history of computing

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed () reed com>
Date: December 24, 2008 12:40:03 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: Re: [IP] recs on the history of computing

The history of computing involves many little histories, and most  
books follow only one thread, often well, often poorly.  The worse  
have been those that try to make a case that some one guy (almost  
always a guy) "launched it all".  This is like blaming antisemitism  
and ultranationalism on Hitler, who was its creation, not the other  
way around.

One extremely good capture of a thread was done by historian Thomas P.  
Hughes in his book Rescuing Prometheus - describing the SAGE project.   
But there are many, many other good histories of small pieces.  The  
histories of large pieces fail.

The other issue is the question of the history of *computers* vs.  
history of *computing*.   The latter has been transformational, the  
former, merely a platform for it.  As Emerson would put it (viz. his  
The American Scholar essay), the history of *computing* has been a  
history of "Man Thinking".  But this history is not one of artifacts  
or prizes won.

Instead of "a book", read the influential thought pieces.  The  
following  seven articles/books have been  incredible touchstones of  
computing history, and have shaped it far more than any individual  
technical achievement, though the engineering has been absolutely  
essential in forging these visions into forms we see today.  If I were  
to teach a course in the history of computing, I'd start with these.   
(and perhaps some earlier pieces by Turing and Church and Goedel, but  
those are really about mathematics in general).

1) Vannevar Bush: "As we may think" The Atlantic Monthly, 1945.

2) Norbert Weiner: "Cybernetics: or control and communication in man  
and machine", MIT Press, 1948.

3) Claude Shannon: "A mathematical theory of communication." 1948.  
(Available in annotated book form U. Illinois press, Shannon & Weaver,  
1968).

4) John McCarthy: "Programs with common sense". 1959.  (reprinted in  
McCarthy's book called Formalizing Common Sense).

5) Marvin Minsky: "Steps toward Artificial Intelligence", Proc. IRE  
Jan 1961.

6) Licklider and Taylor, "The Computer as a Communications Device,"   
Science and Technology, April 1968.

7) Alan Kay: "A personal computer for kids of all ages."  Xerox PARC,  
1972.

- David

David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: "Sarah Lai Stirland" <stirland () gmail com>
> Date: December 23, 2008 7:06:42 PM EST
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: recs on the history of computing
>
> Hi Dave,
>
> Was wondering what recs you and your list of readers would have on
> good books on the history of computers ... any help much appreciated.
>
> regards,
>
> Sarah
>
>
>
>
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