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How Did We Find Out #27
How Did We Find Out About Computers?
Traces the history and technological development of the computer from its earliest origins to modern videogames
54 pages, Library Binding
First published May 1, 1984
38 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,355 books28k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 8, 2025
Of course this book is out of date. But not as badly as you might think. Since the focus is on the history, and the basic functioning of computers, it is still a fairly useful book. I appreciated the basic but limited rundown on how binary numbers work. I also liked the information of why vacuum bulbs were limited and eventually gave away to silicon microchips. Recommended as an introduction to computers, or for the youth who can’t get enough info on computers.
February 1, 2025
By a lucky coincidence my favorite writer was one of the most prolific, with more than 500 books to his credit. Now, there are many anthologies, that I do not care much about and a lot of books for children that he probably wrote on a rainy afternoon. Like this one. With 50 pages, he could save four such books on a "floppy disc".
Of course, a book on computers, published in 1984 is hopelessly outdated. Also, he does not explain things nearly as thoroughly as one expects - and wishes. He is afraid that his target readers might not even understand the concept of binary numbers. So he is not really explaining how a computer works.
And still, it is a delightful little book. And I did learn something. The difference between ENIAC and UNIVAC, for example.
I like it that when he talks about the difference between computers and human beings he is careful enough to say that computers do not yet have intuition, imagination, fantasy and creativity.
And he talks of a future "when human beings will look back with horror back to the days before they had computers as friends and helpers".
Of course, a book on computers, published in 1984 is hopelessly outdated. Also, he does not explain things nearly as thoroughly as one expects - and wishes. He is afraid that his target readers might not even understand the concept of binary numbers. So he is not really explaining how a computer works.
And still, it is a delightful little book. And I did learn something. The difference between ENIAC and UNIVAC, for example.
I like it that when he talks about the difference between computers and human beings he is careful enough to say that computers do not yet have intuition, imagination, fantasy and creativity.
And he talks of a future "when human beings will look back with horror back to the days before they had computers as friends and helpers".
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews