Exploratory Programming for the Arts and Humanities

by Nick Montfort

This book introduces programming to readers with a background in the arts and humanities; there are no prerequisites, and no knowledge of computation is assumed. In it, Nick Montfort reveals programming to be not merely a technical exercise within given constraints but a tool for sketching, brainstorming, and inquiring about important topics. He emphasizes programming's exploratory potential -- its facility to create new kinds of artworks and to probe data for new ideas.

The book is designed to be read alongside the computer, allowing readers to program while making their way through the chapters. It offers practical exercises in writing and modifying code, beginning on a small scale and increasing in substance. In some cases, a specification is given for a program, but the core activities are a series of -free projects, - intentionally underspecified exercises that leave room for readers to determine their own direction and write different sorts of programs. Throughout the book, Montfort also considers how computation and programming are culturally situated -- how programming relates to the methods and questions of the arts and humanities. The book uses Python and Processing, both of which are free software, as the primary programming languages.

Genres: Nonfiction

328 pages, Hardcover

First published April 8, 2016

About the author

Nick Montfort is Professor of Digital Media at MIT. He is the author of Twisty Little Passages: An Approach to Interactive Fiction and Exploratory Programming for the Arts and Humanities; the coauthor of Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System and 10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10; and the coeditor of The New Media Reader (all published by the MIT Press).

Reviews

[Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very friendly and thoughtful, and clearly useful, hands-on introduction to programming. This would be a great book to learn from solo, or with a buddy or two in a book club. I might even recommend it over my previous go-to, Zed Shaw's Learn Python the Hard Way. It was less focused on text manipulation/analysis that I might have expected (a lot on images and sound!) which is useful for making art but I think means we won't use it as our only textbook for our class, but still a valuable inspiration for how to reframe a programming class around humanist principles. I especially liked the chapter that surveys classic "first programs" (like hello world) and talks about their cultural context and implications while also teaching them.

[Jan Martinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating it as a teacher reading it to find out how others teach: and that is one interesting read. Basics explored almost bracket to bracket. It sometimes felt heavy, but all of it is beautiful.

My expectations were set for a book that uncovers coding to rather computer-estranged audience and that was not it. This book is for people who somehow know that coding and arts/humanities go together and are eager to get through a very detailed introductory book that tries to cover all the tiny problems along the road. Now I only need that estranged–eager convertor.

[Dosia]

∞ na około 70. stronie

Podręcznik do programowania dla humanistów. Pomyślałam "Interesujące, przeczytam". Nooo hm. To niestety nie jest tytuł dla mnie. Zdaje się, że potrzebuję czegoś odwrotnego. Książki dla programistów o wykorzystaniu kodu w działaniach badawczych i artystycznych. Może jakiś sequel, coś. Tak czy owak porzucam i raczej nie ocenię 🙃

[Rasmus Vuori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction

A nice way for people with less of a tech background to learn the basics of programming and how computational logic works in practice.

[Mariana Chinellato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those who are looking for theoretical and practical views of programming in the Humanities. Nick Montfort shows us examples on how to use the computer to improve our capacity of understanding the art work in contemporary technological context.

[Mills College Library]

005.1 M784 2016