Book Summary and Reviews of The History of the Computer by Rachel Ignotofsky

The History of the Computer by Rachel Ignotofsky

The History of the Computer

People, Inventions, and Technology that Changed Our World

by Rachel Ignotofsky

  • Published:
  • May 2022, 128 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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.

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!

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"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

This information about The History of the Computer was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Rachel Ignotofsky

Rachel Ignotofsky is a New York Times bestselling author, illustrator, and designer. Rachel and her work have been featured in many print and online media outlets such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Science Friday, Brain Pickings, and more. She is the author of Women in Science, Women in Sports, Women in Art, I Love Science, and The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth.

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