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M. Mitchell Waldrop

The Dream Machine Hardcover – September 25, 2018

by M. Mitchell Waldrop (Author)

4.7 231 ratings

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The story of the man who instigated the work that led to the internet—and shifted our understanding of what computers could be.

Behind every great revolution is a vision, and behind perhaps the greatest revolution of our time is the vision of J.C.R. Licklider. He did not design the first personal computers or write the software that ran on them, nor was he involved in the legendary early companies that brought them to the forefront of our everyday experience. He was instead a relentless visionary who saw the potential in the way that individuals could interact with computers and software.

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.

This Stripe Press edition also includes 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, coauthored with Robert Taylor), which amplifies his vision for what the network could become.

Print length

528 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Stripe Press
Publication date

September 25, 2018
Dimensions

6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1732265119
ISBN-13

978-1732265110
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Editorial Reviews

Review

When people ask me about Xerox Parc, I always tell them about J. C. R. Licklider Lick and how he formed the ARPA Information Processing Techniques Office in 1962 and started the great research funding for interactive computing and pervasive worldwide networks that has resulted in most of the technology we use today: both via the inventions of the eventually 16 or so ARPA projects at various universities and think tanks, and by creating the next generations of computing researchers, many of whom became the founders and mainstays of Xerox Parc. The top book I recommend to read about this large process that stretched over 20 years is The Dream Machine by M. Mitchell Waldrop. It is the most accurate, has the most detail, and has the best organization and writing. He is able to admirably catch many of the most important parts of both the history and the spirit of the many headed research and engineering processes that together created our interactive networked information world. --Alan Kay

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

About the Author

M. Mitchell Waldrop is a freelance writer and editor. He earned a masters in journalism and a PhD in elementary particle physics at the University of Wisconsin. He was previously a writer and West Coast bureau chief for Chemical and Engineering News, 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, DC, with his wife, Amy E. Friedlander.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stripe Press; Fourth edition (September 25, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1732265119
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1732265110
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.38 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #93,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #19 in Computing Industry History
- #52 in History of Technology
- #188 in Scientist Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.7 231 ratings

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John Allen

An amazing story

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 11, 2022

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The Dream Machine is truly the best book on the history of computing. The story dives deep into the trials and tribulations faced by the many creators of the technology that runs life in the 21st century — starting at the very beginning of the journey in the early 1800s. You’ll learn about the key players from the universities, government, and corporations who all worked together to bring computing to life.

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!

6 people found this helpful

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donald d daniel

the people and events that led to computers

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 1, 2023

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An incredibly thorough and in depth survey. about two volumes printed as one by means of print so small
a magnifying glass is required. a real jewel of a history book.

One person found this helpful

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William Don Myers

nerdy excellent

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 25, 2022

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Does an amazing job of covering all the details. I lived through all of this but didn’t know what was going on behind the scenes.

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Roberto Rigolin F Lopes

Challenging conventional ideas

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 28, 2020

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Both personal computers and the internet can be traced back to one brain. A brain just like yours (sorry machines) but thinking formidable thoughts. J.C.R. Licklider (1915 - 1990) was an original thinker educated in psychology and self-educated in information technology. An outsider laying down the roadmap for the future and vigorously pushing it to become real. Dreaming about human-computer symbiosis connected together by a multi network to greatly expand our intelligence and relations. It is hard to tell if this book is about Lick’s work or it is the history of both personal computers and the internet. One cannot tell these things apart. Impressive. My favorite part is the historical account on the connection among Computation (Turing), Cybernetics (Wiener), Information Theory (Shannon) and Computers (Von Neumann). This book is full of dreams and dreamers.

6 people found this helpful

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K. Goff

Excellent story of a great scientist and development of the PC and the Internet

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 29, 2019

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This book was especially interesting to me since I knew Licklider from his days in the MIT Acoustic Lab in the early fifties where I did my graduate work. The book accurately portrays Lick as a brilliant person with a deep commitment to working with others to develop their careers and his goals for a world where computers and people work together seamlessly. Much of the book deals with the brilliant computer scientists Lick supported thru ARPA grants, and their work leading to the Arpanet which evolved into the Internet and the personal computer. The story of the Xerox PARC research lab helped me understand how so much great research could come to benefit everyone but the company that funded it. A fine well deserved tribute to Licklider, and a great book for anyone interested in the people and projects leading to the Internet and the personal computer.

4 people found this helpful

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Ritesh Laud

Excellent history of computer science through the '70s

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 3, 2008

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"The Dream Machine" is billed as the story of J.C.R. Licklider, one of the main driving forces behind the research and engineering of personal computing. However, at least half of the book actually consists of general computer science history having little directly to do with Licklider, but which rather serves as context for Licklider's long and varied career. Well, it seemed to me that both aspects were handled very well by the author Mr. Waldrop and I am certainly much more educated now on computer science.

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.

7 people found this helpful

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Gleb Posobin

Essential read for anyone who wants to understand how world-changing innovations occur

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 14, 2018

Verified Purchase

Though the hardcover version has some problems, such as very rare typos and a rather small font size, the book itself is fantastic, and I am very grateful to Stripe press for putting out a new edition. It is fascinating to read about the inception of technologies we are taking for granted nowadays, and what was required to make them happen. “The Dream Machine” gave me a charge of optimism and hope by showing what people could achieve. Though at the same time it is a sad book, for reading it made me see how slow the real progress in IT was since the 70s. Essential read for anyone interested in modern technologies or wishing to create something world-changing.

4 people found this helpful

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Patrick Collison

My favorite history of the internet

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 1, 2018

Verified Purchase

I'm biased, since I played a role in helping this edition come about, but I played a role for a reason. For such an importance force, there's surprisingly little cultural understanding of how the internet came to be, and of the kind of thinking and philosophy that underpinned it. It turns out that the story is quite remarkable. The Dream Machine is a meticulously-researched investigation that captures both the institutional dynamics and personal aspirations that led to personal computers and the internet. Waldrop digs deep (acoustics, cybernetics, information theory, Radar), and the result is a work that properly situates Licklider's work in its relevant context. I unreservedly recommend it to anyone who cares about the technology industry.

91 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Jurijs Kovzels

Biography of one visionary and history of compute and Internet under one cover

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on April 24, 2020

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The book evolves around the life and work of J.C.R Licklider an American psychologist turned computer scientist and pioneer who in the early 1960 envisioned and helped become the reality computers and Internet as we know then today. Book covers entire Lick's life and history of computing from inception in 20's until late 90's. This book makes me want to know more about the history. Huge thanks to the author for great read.

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Must buy

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on February 21, 2022

Verified Purchase

Great book

utk

Unbelievable Find

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on December 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

One of the most comprehensive histories of the computer revolution; painstakingly traces the emergence of the technology with vivid portraits of the individuals involved, and how their decisions helped shape today.

Chuck Swanepoel

How it started and evolved

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

Great history of computing and the internet.

2 people found this helpful

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