Turing and the Computer

by Paul Strathern

Book Overview

Few concepts in the history of 20th-century thought are as rich with both philosophical and practical implications as the computer. And few people in the history of computing are as intellectually and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 038549243X
• ISBN13: 9780385492430
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Anchor Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Learn about computer history!

What? You have never heard of Alan Turing? You don't deserve tolive! Quick, buy this book (which [is inexpensive]) and learn everything about computer history before uncle Gabriel discover it and pull your ear lobes! This book shows the computer history, beginning from abacus and obviously focuses at Alan Turing and his most important inventions for computing history, the Colossus and the ENIAC. What? You have never heard of ENIAC? Promise to us: come back here in Hardware Secrets only after you have finished reading this book, ok?

A good appetizer

This little book offers a quick overview of the history of the computer until eventually settling on Alan Turing and his paramount contributions. Obviously it is not meant to be exhaustive but it opens up a menu of topics to be followed if one is interested, all circling around Turing: computer theory, mathematics and the solution of cryptographical problems, Bletchley Park's contribution to winning WorldWarII, artificial intelligence, mathematical theory, mid-20th century persecution of homosexuals in Britain, eccentricity and the nature of genius, the very peculiar personality of Turing himself. It's a little book that explains some basics and opens many doors, for which one has to be grateful.