A History of Modern Computing (History of Computing) [Hardcover]

Paul E. Ceruzzi (Author)

Book Description

Series: History of Computing | Publication Date: October 12, 1998

This engaging history covers modern computing from the development of the first electronic digital computer through the advent of the World Wide Web. The author concentrates on four key moments of transition: the transformation of the computer in the late 1940s from a specialized scientific instrument to a commercial product; the emergence of small systems in the late 1960s; the beginnings of personal computing in the 1970s; and the spread of networking after 1985.

Within this chronological narrative, the book traces several overlapping threads: the evolution of the computer's internal design; the effect of economic trends and the Cold War; the long-term role of IBM as a player and as a target for upstart entrepreneurs; the growth of software from a hidden element to a major character in the story of computing; and the recurring issue of the place of information and computing in a democratic society. The focus is on the United States (though Europe and Japan enter the story at crucial points), on computing per se rather than on applications such as artificial intelligence, and on systems that were sold commercially and installed in quantities. The author balances stories of individuals with those of institutions and emphasizes those factors that conspired to bring about the decisive shifts in the story.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This book delivers exactly what its title promises: a straightforward and comprehensive account of the electronic digital computer's first five decades. Starting with the historic ENIAC of 1945, Ceruzzi moves nimbly through one epochal generation of computing technology after another: the gargantuan, vacuum-tube-filled mainframes of the early '50s; the sleeker, transistorized minicomputers of the '60s; the personal computers conjured up by hobbyists in the '70s; and the computer networks that have come to span offices and the globe in the last 10 years.

Ceruzzi places all of these developments in the context of the social phenomena that shaped them: the imperatives of Cold War research, the evolving needs of information-swamped businesses, and the quirks and dreams of counter-cultural computer hackers. But unlike some popular books about computing history, this one refuses to acknowledge any particular individual, group, or institution as its protagonist. The tale it tells is complex: a weave of high-level projects, lowbrow tinkerings, and sweeping socioeconomic transformations, with a crash course in the basics of computer architecture tossed in for good measure. The mix doesn't make for great drama, but it does offer something perhaps more valuable--the sober, subtle feel of real history unfolding. --Julian Dibbell

From Publishers Weekly

A curator at the National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian) and historian of technology (Beyond the Limits: Flight Enters the Computer Age) offers a coherent yet thorough history of the computer. Ceruzzi begins in 1945 and ends in 1995, concentrating on commercial systems in the U.S. The story proceeds chronologically, tracing the evolution and repeated redefinition of what we understand by the word "computer." Starting with background to the UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer, an early stored-program device introduced in 1951), Ceruzzi tracks developments in substantial detail, from early commercial computing to mainframes, the growing role of software, minicomputers, the subsequent movement to personal computing and, finally, the emergence of networking. The account does not require a background in computer science and is loaded with explanations about the origins of particular devices and functions (e.g., disk drives, RAM) as well as famous machines, internal architectures and histories of momentous companies (e.g., IBM, DEC). Ceruzzi sustains an interesting and manageable level of complexity, but his book is somewhat hobbled by a dry style and occasionally turgid elaborations that might better have been relegated to the extensive annotations. 51 illustrations.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1st ed edition (October 12, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262032554
• ISBN-13: 978-0262032551
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,010,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING! Wonderful book, November 29, 1999

By A Customer

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This review is from: A History of Modern Computing (History of Computing) (Hardcover)

Well, as I did with the ENIAC book, I disagree completely with the reader from Switzerland. I wonder if they even read the book, considering it mentions the Z3 as well as many other early computers and calculating devices.

This book is a fast-paced can't-put-it-down read -- assuming of course that you're interested in the history of computing from about the 40's through the early 90's.

Very well organized. Very well written. Very well researched. Doesn't get too caught up in who made millions and when, nor does it get caught up in the various academic and business computer debates that have come and gone over the years. A perfect balance of noting the history without taking sides.

Overall an excellent read. I'd give it six stars out of five if I could.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Technical details, February 26, 2001

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of Modern Computing (History of Computing) (Hardcover)

This book is a history of computing technology since 1945. Ceruzzi focuses mostly on hardware, giving very detailed descriptions of how the great mainframes were built and by whom. He also discusses how transistors and microchips were developed and came into use in computers, although his descriptions of the development of computer languages, operating systems, or other software are much briefer than those he provides for hardware. The book has a number of illustrations of people and the machines they made famous. The author seems very careful to give an accurate account of events and the book is very well footnoted. It also includes an excellent index and bibliography. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the technical aspects of the history of computers.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good history, but buy Rheingold's book, June 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Modern Computing (History of Computing) (Paperback)

This book makes a nice thorough reference of the history of computing post 1945, and is great for use on a course. However it is a little dry and unanalytical. Buy Howard Rheingold's "Tools for thought" if you want a generally more human, enjoyable read which provides almost as good a technical account.