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The Dream Machine Kindle Edition
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At a time when computers were a short step removed from mechanical data processors, Licklider was writing treatises on “human-computer symbiosis,” “computers as communication devices,” and a now not-so-unfamiliar “Intergalactic Network.” His ideas became so influential, his passion so contagious, that author M. Mitchell Waldrop calls him “computing’s Johnny Appleseed.”
In a simultaneously compelling personal narrative and comprehensive historical exposition, Waldrop tells the story of the man who not only instigated the work that led to the internet but also shifted our understanding of what computers were and could be.
Included in this edition are also the original texts of Licklider’s three most influential writings: “Man-computer symbiosis” (1960), which outlines the vision that led to the personal computer revolution of the 1970s; his “Intergalactic Network” memo (1963), which outlines the vision that inspired the internet; and “The Computer as a Communication Device” (1968, co-authored with Robert Taylor), which amplifies his vision for what the network could become.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateSeptember 25, 2018
- File size6880 KB
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
He was previously a writer and West Coast bureau chief for Chemical and Engineering News and senior writer at Science, editorial page and features editor at Nature, and worked in media affairs for the National Science Foundation. He is also the author of Man-Made Minds (Walker, 1987), a book about artificial intelligence and Complexity (Simon & Schuster, 1992), a book about the Santa Fe Institute and the new sciences of complexity.
He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Amy E. Friedlander. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Review
The Dream Machine works admirably as an exploration of the intellectual and political roots of the rise of modern computing. It s an ambitious and worthwhile addition to the history of science. --San Francisco Chronicle
A masterpiece! A mesmerizing but balanced and comprehensive look at the making of the information revolution the people, the ideas, the tensions, and the hurdles. And on top of that, it is beautifully written. --John Seely Brown, former director of Xerox PARC, coauthor of The Social Life of Information
“A sprawling history of the ideas, individuals, and groups of people that got us from punch cards to personal computers… comprehensive… impressive… [and] compelling.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“The story is fascinating, played out in almost 500 pages of engrossing politics, personalities, and passions. This is not a casual read—but for those who want the whole story, well told, it is a very good one.”
—Wired
“A sweeping history of personal computing, made vivid by rich detail.”
—The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“A well-reported story about the overwhelming power of vision and tenacity.”
—USA Today
“An informative and engaging history.”
—Library Journal
Amazon.com Review
"Lick," as his students and colleagues called him, was deeply involved in guiding the evolution of personal and networked computing from the 1950s through the 1980s, after leaving a career in cognitive psychology. Waldrop captures his spirit vividly--contrary to our stereotypical view of computer scientists, Licklider was profoundly interested in his fellow humans, and this interest helped him lead the design of technology adapted to human needs.
Waldrop interviewed dozens of contemporaries and examined reams of notes and primary sources to compose this massive biography of influence that stretches from MIT to the Pentagon to Xerox PARC and far beyond. If it sometimes seems that Licklider was a little too well beloved, especially in comparison to some of the more colorful figures in computing's recent history, it is worth remembering that his patience and humility were the very qualities that helped deliver the home-computing revolution we take for granted today. If we had to choose just one 20th-century computer pioneer that we couldn't do without, it would have to be the man behind the Dream Machine. --Rob Lightner
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.From Booklist
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
From Library Journal
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.Product details
- ASIN : B07GBCX7YC
- Publisher : Stripe Press (September 25, 2018)
- Publication date : September 25, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 6880 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 529 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #80,258 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
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The book is definitely dense. The author didn’t seem to skip a beat with all of the fine details that range from points within conversations to pivotal moments that formed how the world works. That means the book isn’t for everyone; I’ve gifted it to a few people who never got all the way through. But it’s a joy to those who want the full picture of how computing was invented (me).
This is within my top five books that I’ve ever read — the stories are phenomenal and I feel like I actually understand the full history of computers. And I can’t forget to mention the beauty of the iridescent cover. This book stands out on your shelf!
a magnifying glass is required. a real jewel of a history book.
Though quite long at nearly 500 pages, the book was actually a page turner for me as the style of the prose is closer to that of a novel than of a textbook. I found the transformation of government funding from virtually unlimited in the '50s and '60s (e.g. the massive SAGE project) to greatly budget constrained in the '70s fascinating, as well as the various contractors' reactions to the changing federal priorities.
I give this 4.5 stars as it could have used a bit more focus on the purported subject, Licklider. Highly recommended for anyone with a strong interest in computers and software.






