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Making the World Work Better: The Ideas That Shaped a Century and a Company
by
Kevin Maney (Goodreads Author),
Jeffrey M. O'Brien (Goodreads Author)
One hundred years ago, the company that would become IBM took its first steps into an unknown future. In Making the World Work Better: The Ideas That Shaped a Century and a Company, journalists Kevin Maney, Steve Hamm and Jeffrey M. O’Brien tell a story of progress that illuminates, and transcends, the rich history of a single enterprise.
Through extensive research, they ex
...morePaperback, 352 pages
Published
June 16th 2011
by IBM Press
(first published January 1st 2011)
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On June 16, 2011, IBM celebrated their centennial. Today, computers influence nearly every aspect of our lives. Who knew that punch cards would serve to change the world to such an extent?
Making the World Work Better looks at the history of innovation at IBM and the computing world in general. It’s really quite an amazing journey. A hundred years ago, punch cards were useful for collecting data for time cards and the like but they couldn’t do anything with that data and they sure couldn’t manip...more
Making the World Work Better looks at the history of innovation at IBM and the computing world in general. It’s really quite an amazing journey. A hundred years ago, punch cards were useful for collecting data for time cards and the like but they couldn’t do anything with that data and they sure couldn’t manip...more
As a recent hire at IBM, I found this book spot on. This describes why people join IBM. I'm reminded of the story of when John Sculley was hired at Apple, where Jobs famously asked "Do you want to sell sugar water the rest of your life, or do you want to ... change the world?" Seems like that concept -- wanting to be part of something that changes the world -- works at IBM, too. The book consists of three parts written by three different authors. The first part describes a model of a technology...more
If you project the philosophy of this book into the future, it seems to suggest that we will all be like bees in a beehive, working efficiently for the good of a smarter planet. In that smarter planet, complex systems will be fully understood, and information systems will tell each of us exactly what needs to be done.
I'm proud to work for IBM, but this book is a little bit frightening. I prefer to think we live in world where complex system can never be fully understood or controlled. I like a...more
I'm proud to work for IBM, but this book is a little bit frightening. I prefer to think we live in world where complex system can never be fully understood or controlled. I like a...more
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This took me a very long time to get through. Not because of the content, per se, but because of the style. It read a lot like a textbook, so trying to read it at night was often a no go, with only getting about 10-15 pages read and then falling asleep. I actually just took the last couple of hours to finish the last 150 pages.
As a former IBM employee, it's interesting to see the evolution of the company throughout history, and to have first hand experiences of how the company's values were put...more
As a former IBM employee, it's interesting to see the evolution of the company throughout history, and to have first hand experiences of how the company's values were put...more
Nice read !!! its a fact i come to know from the book that Charles Babbage's analytical engine was inspired by a Jacquard loom which is used to produce larger patterns to the fabric. The input to the first computational machine run by punched card which is the same technique in jacquard loom!!!
( today that technology reversed, now Jacquard looms runs not by punched cards but by digital signals from a computer !!!!!)
This book contains a comprehensive research on the history of the computer, how...more
( today that technology reversed, now Jacquard looms runs not by punched cards but by digital signals from a computer !!!!!)
This book contains a comprehensive research on the history of the computer, how...more
It reads like an 'about us' of a website for a pamphlet on a front desk, except 300x longer.
Not a bad read, provides a lot of history and explains the culture but I wouldn't quite recommend it to anyone.
12-02-2012
Got it free from work... may as well give it a read.
Not a bad read, provides a lot of history and explains the culture but I wouldn't quite recommend it to anyone.
12-02-2012
Got it free from work... may as well give it a read.
Jan 20, 2012
Tina
marked it as will-read-someday
Got this book for free at work. Hello there, I have no idea when I'll read you.
Oh My Geezus! I won again! Happy Christmas to meeeeeeeeeeee!!! *singing in falsetto
May 06, 2012
Jerry
is currently reading it
Currently reading it.
Won this book in a giveaway. It's informative and has colorful graphics and pictures.
Mostly skimmed through it, but found it pretty interesting...
This book made me really proud to be an IBMer.
May 21, 2013
arun kavukattu
is currently reading it
Apr 30, 2013
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Apr 05, 2013
Sonali Samparna
marked it as to-read
Mar 21, 2013
Valerie
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Mar 02, 2013
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Feb 16, 2013
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Making the World ...: Questions for Kevin Maney | 6 | 17 | Dec 02, 2011 12:44pm | |
| Making the World ...: System thinking - can it be taught? | 2 | 15 | Nov 28, 2011 01:46pm | |
| Making the World ...: Questions for Jeff O'Brien | 3 | 8 | Nov 28, 2011 01:19pm | |
| Making the World ...: Questions for Steve Hamm | 4 | 12 | Nov 28, 2011 10:44am | |
| Making the World ...: The backstory of Making the World Work Better | 2 | 23 | Nov 28, 2011 04:32am | |
| Author Q&A: November 28-December 9 | 2 | 11 | Nov 10, 2011 05:00am | |
| Making the World ...: What technology has had the most profound impact on your life? | 1 | 8 | Nov 03, 2011 05:46pm |
