Tim Berners-Lee and the Development of the World Wide Web (Unlocking the Secrets of Science) (Library Binding)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Introductory biographies of two computer geniuses. Both begin by placing the subjects in their historical and cultural milieus and include interesting anecdotes. Berners-Lee comes across as a humble man who changed our lives when he developed the World Wide Web. However, he has not accumulated great personal wealth from his seminal work. Gaines uses many quotes from her subject's book, Weaving the Web (Harper, 1999). Her title is similar in scope to Melissa Stewart's Tim Berners-Lee: Inventor of the World Wide Web (Ferguson, 2001). Riddle and Whiting describe Wozniak's successes as well as the challenges he faced after he cofounded Apple Computer. He has used his great wealth to give back to the community through philanthropy and teaching in elementary schools. The book is less detailed than Martha Kendall's Steve Wozniak (Highland, 2000). Both volumes define new words in reader-friendly terms within the text. Black-and-white captioned photos appear throughout. Useful for reports.
Sandra L. Doggett, Urbana High School, Ijamsville, MD
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

In three months in the fall of 1989, Berners-Lee used the Internet, a discarded defensive weapon of the United States government and its system of sending information over telephone lines, and invented the World Wide Web. Today the World Wide Web exists in every country, reaching tens of millions of homes around the world. People have become friends with other people they will never visit because of it. People conduct business and do shopping without ever leaving their homes. Someday soon elections might be held on it. Every year, it seems, humans find new and better ways to communicate through it.

Berners-Lee remains humble today about his achievement, which he gave away to the world.

"I pieced it together as I pursued my regular work and personal life," he explains in his book Weaving the Web. "But many other people, most of them unknown, contributed essential ingredients, in much the same almost random fashion. A group of individuals holding a common dream and working together at a distance brought about a great change."

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Library Binding: 48 pages
• Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584150963
• ISBN-13: 978-1584150961
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,444,135 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Historical Inconsistency in the Synopsis, January 2, 2004

By A Customer

I take exception whenever there are books written for our children that are factually inaccurate. Reading only the synopsis of the book, I am taken aback, and am curious about the accuracy of the remainder of the work.

"In three months in the fall of 1989, Berners-Lee used the Internet, a discarded defensive weapon of the United States government and its system of sending information over telephone lines, and invented the World Wide Web."

During the fall of 1989, the Internet was a burgeoning research network funded joinly by the Defense Department and the National Science Foundation, as an offshoot of the DoD's ARPANET project. At that time, the NSF had funded the upgrades to dedicated links for 13 regional research and educational networks in the US. It was hardly a "a discarded defensive weapon of the United States government".

Authors need to verify sources and correct material, especially before supplying it to our children.