Book details of 'L.E.O.: The Incredible Story of the World's First Business Computer'

Title	L.E.O.: The Incredible Story of the World's First Business Computer
Author(s)	David Caminer, John Aris, Peter Hermon, Frank Land
ISBN	0070095019
Language	English
Published	November 1997
Publisher	McGraw-Hill Professional

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The Virtual Bookcase Reviews of 'L.E.O.: The Incredible Story of the World's First Business Computer':

Reviewer amazon.com wrote:
A variety of machines mark the milestones on the way to modern cyberculture. Many, such as ENIAC, UNIVAC, the TRS-80, and the Apple II are well known. Less celebrated but vitally important was the Lyons Electronic Office (LEO), the first business computer. Rather than being built by an electronic firm, LEO was built by J. Lyons & Co., a British food company that kept Great Britain in tea and cakes throughout World War II. J. Lyons & Co. operated in constant innovation, leaping into business history right after the war with the vision that the growing mountain of paperwork could be tamed by machine--if they only had the courage to build it. LEO tells the story of what many believed to be, at best, a quixotic effort. LEO's success was demonstrated when the world's first routine office job--weekly bakery valuations--was computerized in 1951. Within a few years, LEO computers were running payrolls for Ford Motor Company and working for British railroads, military, and businesses. This is not just a story about technology, but about individual and corporate vision and the people who made a dream work despite mistakes.
Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
On Thursday, November 29, 1951, a computer program was run to calculate the value of baked goods produced for distribution to the J. Lyons and Company teashops and retail outlets. Run weekly from that point on, this was the first time a computer program had been used for a strictly office related task. Most unusually, from the perspective of those who have been fed the standard history of computers, the machine on which this program ran was not built by the military or a large government department, but by the catering company itself: LEO, the Lyons Electronic Office. North American audiences may wonder why a restaurant chain would try to place itself on the cutting edge of information technology. Lyons, in post-war Britain, held a position somewhat equivalent to that of the McDonald's fast food empire in the present day, with fewer jokes about the quality of the food. As McDonald's is known for its distribution system, so Lyons had built a foundation of production automation and advanced business management. A 1947 trip to the United States, in fact, resulted in no lessons they could take from American companies, but did raise interest in the possible uses of the new "electronic brains." (An appendix reproduces the trip report from that visit, with an amazingly detailed primer on the state of the computer art.) The first LEO was, in a sense, a victim of its own success. Jobs were undertaken for outside enterprises (including calculation of ordnance data for the military) and there was increased demand from within the company as well. A subsequent generation of machines was built, and LEO Computers Ltd. was created in hopes that sales might be made to other companies. These orders did come, and the programming done by LEO staff resulted in a very early (and successful) form of expert system for a steel manufacturer. The company ran computer service bureaus and installed computers on three continents. Eventually, through mergers, both the company and the LEO architecture disappeared. The first part of the book is a basic history of the computer and company. With spare, readable prose it recounts the outline of people and actions involved. While less personal than some other histories written by the participants, it is also free of the more egregious forms of chauvinism that tend to characterize them. As a part of computer history, and as one that claims a unique position, it is rather odd that very little mention is made of computer developments in other companies of the time. The lack of hard evidence makes it difficult to accept the infrequent but invariable position that the LEO was the most cost effective solution in every competition. Parts two, three, and four rectify the lack of personality by including reminiscences from early pioneers, later workers, and those who dealt with sales abroad. While differing in style, all these reports are readable and interesting. (One item to note that is not strictly part of the book is the list of contributors at the beginning. As you read through the short biographies of the people involved in LEO there are a number who went on to major roles in British, European, and international computing. However, of more interest is the wide range of "extra-curricular" activities and contributions.) Because of its position in computer history, this book will undoubtedly be a fixture on the shelves of historians of technology. For those with any interest in the subject, it is also a jolly good read. However, the text provides more than its simple and inherent interest. The LEO was built and programmed by a group with a very different background from those who commonly created computer companies, and particularly those from the US. This unconventional outlook provided a distinct style that has much to teach those active in the field today. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1998
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Book description:

In 1947, a remarkable group of pioneers began a process that would change the way business was done forever. Now, the original development team tells the fascinating story of LEONLyons Electronic Office, the world's first business computer and long before IBM's first business mainframes! This compelling book transports the reader to post-war England, where a small group with limited resources designed and built a machine that launched the modern world of business computing. Their story is a fascinating case study in business innovation, vision, and changeNone that offers powerful parallels for anyone grappling with the impact of the Internet on business today.