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David E. Lundstrom

A Few Good Men from Univac (Mit Press Series in the History of Computing) First Edition

by David E. Lundstrom (Author)

13

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The author recounts his experiences working in the computer industry, explains why projects fail or succeed, and discusses the future of the industry

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ISBN-10

0262121204
ISBN-13

978-0262121200
Edition

First Edition
Publisher

Mit Pr
Publication date

January 1, 1987
Language

English
Dimensions

0.9 x 6.2 x 9.2 inches
Print length

300 pages
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mit Pr; First Edition (January 1, 1987)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0262121204
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0262121200
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.9 x 6.2 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #242,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #202 in History of Technology
- #540 in Professional
- #1,806 in Mathematics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
13

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David E. Lundstrom

David E. Lundstrom

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

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These guys showed the world how computers can be used to gather real data to evaluate the world.

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2023

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The first attempts to gather actual numerical data on what was happening in the Vietnam war, shaped the value of the real stuff, the kind of data often obscured by guesses and misstated data shaped by opinions and influence.

For Those Interested in Early Computers

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021

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Very interesting if you would like to know about the early beginnings of the Computer era.

An enjoyable memoir regarding the pioneering days of computing

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2022

This is an enjoyable book and an easy read. The author is an amateur, but likeable. The memoir covers his experience at Univac from 1955-1963 and at Control Data from 1963-1985. Lundstrom spent much of his career in product planning, so don't expect an in-depth treatment of hardware or software development. Still there is enough of both for the computer history enthusiast and plenty of entertaining stories regarding product and business development.

A true story about the beginnings of transistorized digital computers.

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2013

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I know this was a true story because I was there. Lundstrom was at Univac from 1953 to 1963. I was there from 1960 to 1965. I worked with 3 of the 4 men that David talks about. This book filled in a lot of the history that I had not been told. My time at Univac working with some of the best minds I have ever encountered was a highlight in my working career. The NTDS project rivals Apple's development of the Macintosh. It was significant in the defense of this nation.
Dale Fausett
Technologist
dlfausett@wildblue.net

8 people found this helpful

Inside story of Univac and Control Data Corporation.

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2013

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UNIVAC in Saint Paul, Minnesota was the breeding ground for much of the computer industry, especially mainframes after World War II. This book delves into much of that but the real story here is the rise and decline of CDC, Control Data Corporation, in nearby Bloomington, Minnesota.

2 people found this helpful

Really great read for those involved in technical projects

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2017

This book is highly enjoyable, especially for anyone who has been involved in technical projects at big companies. Like Dilbert, everything Lundstrom writes has the ring of truth to it. From ego-centric VP's to genius engineers and everything in between. It's also a fascinating glimpse into the very earliest days of commercial computers. I haven't seen much else written about this period. I hadn't realized that the Minneapolis area was at one time such a hotbed of high tech companies. He has a lot about the origins of Cray computers. Most of the other companies have shrunk or faded from the modern scene.

3 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2010

Spectacular book about early computers and lots of insight into long
running projects, what makes them tick, problems they encounter, etc.

Includes a great case study on the attempts to computerise the airline
industry, even has a picture of a prototype computer readable airline
ticket of the form that was very very briefly current before being replaced
by online tickets.

And my favourite quote from the book:

It is easy to judge when the morale of an engineering group is high. Just
listen to the conversations in the hallways and in the lunchroom. If the
engineers are talking about their projects, morale is high. If they are
talking about fishing or baseball scores, morale is so-so. If they are
talking about company management and organization, look out - morale
is poor.

One person found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2001

I've read a lot of the "history of computers" books, and this one is a standout. It's great fun to read and avoids that POV that the first computer ever was the Apple I.

4 people found this helpful

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