Book details of 'A History of Modern Computing (History of Computing)'

Title	A History of Modern Computing (History of Computing)
Author(s)	Paul E. Ceruzzi
ISBN	0262032554
Language	English
Published	October 1998
Publisher	MIT Press

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The Virtual Bookcase Reviews of 'A History of Modern Computing (History of Computing)':

Reviewer amazon.com wrote:
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.
Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
In the introduction, Ceruzzi sets forth a fairly ambitious scope for the book. Hardware, software, politics, and even major companies like IBM are to be explored. The book concentrates on the United States because of its dominant position in the industry, but does explore significant movements by other powers. (The movements have to be *very* significant, and the exploration is relatively minimal.) The text is not to be a mere catalogue of machines, but will examine meaning and historical moment. (This is evident even in the introduction, where we are told that American dominance of technical commerce is due to the relationship of the US government, and particularly military, to the computer business.) Chapter one looks at the initial movements of the computer in the realm of commerce. The author has made serious attempts to make this more than a listing of machines, with references to meetings and transfer of ideas between designers. There are also mentions of those who tend to be ignored in the popular histories. One example is the note that the first commercial use of UNIVAC came three years after the Lyon's Electronic Office, which is covered in more detail in "LEO: The First Business Computer" (see reviews). Still it is hard to say that this does much to extend histories that are already available. The determining characteristic of chapter two appears to be advances in storage technology, both in the move through core to transistors for main memory (and processing) and the disk drive. The chapter is, however, somewhat unfocussed, at one point detailing companies, at another discussing aspects of architecture, and in another listing products. Chapter three covers a lot of ground in its look at software, dealing with compilers and languages, operating systems, intellectual property, and antitrust "unbundling" attempts, all up to the late 1960s. The rise of the minicomputer, documented in chapter four, starts with a long series of instances of mainframe use. Indeed, it is not so much about minis as about DEC, and takes an interesting look at changes in business and technical "culture." Business and market forces in the sixties and early seventies are the main focus of chapter five. Most of chapter six reviews the development and production of semiconductor circuits over the same period, but there is also a brief discussion of the beginnings of computer science education. Chapter seven documents the early days of personal computers, of whatever size, through the seventies. A mix of business startups (and closures) and some significant developments makes up chapter eight. Chapter nine is supposed to concentrate on the eighties and nineties, but the technologies it emphasizes; UNIX, LANs, and the Internet; all had their roots in the late sixties. A brief look at future directions concludes in chapter ten. While interesting and instructive, the work is hardly exhaustive. For example, while in current business terms the importance of the Altair, and the impetus it gave to Microsoft, cannot be disputed, when looking at personal computing as a whole the significance of Apple Corporation is beyond question, yet the Apple ][ and the Macintosh seem to be viewed as mere extensions of existing technology. Ceruzzi has provided an accurate and very balanced review of the past fifty years of computing, as well as good analysis and interesting stories, but nothing much beyond that. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1998
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Book description:

"Paul Ceruzzi explores the mostly unmapped history of computing since 1945. Readers seeking to understand a half century of turbulent and complex history will find him an informed and thoughtful guide. A path breaking book." -- Thomas P. Hughes, author of Rescuing Prometheus and American Genesis 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.