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Summary: Excellent overview of the history of the web, from the man.
Review: This book is a joy to read. If you are interested in the history and the philosophy of the web, you will find this book to be very worthwhile.
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Summary: Offers great perspective on the Web
Review: This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical antecedents of the World Wide Web. I'm sure only a very small fraction of the millions using the Web today realize it's essentially an outgrowth of the vision of one man. Here, you get an account penned by the man himself of what he was thinking when he first conjured the Web and his thoughts on its future.Overall, the book is a very engaging read, and its best feature is the insight it provides into the principles that Tim Berners-Lee had in mind during the Web's conception. Though it seems to have been commandeered by mass-marketers, the Web has its roots in the ideals of de-centralized and democratic information sharing. And as long as there are people like Tim Berners-Lee involved who are inspired at least as much by integrity and character as by profit motive, the Web has every chance to fulfill that promise. I would have rated the book 5 stars, but at times the text slips a bit in editing, and it's probably less accessible than it could be to the layperson. Despite that, the book is excellent, and everyone who has ever typed www into a browser should give it a look. After reading this book, grab a copy of "Where Wizards Stay Up Late" by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon for a great history of the Internet.
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Summary: One man with a vision can change everything
Review: This book is the story of Berners-Lee's invention of the web - the single biggest change any one individual has made in modern times - his crucial defense of the idea of it being a decentralized universal resource owned by no one, and his vision for where it should go in the future. It should be required reading for everyone. (But I refuse to call URL's URI's... you lost that battle Tim, give it up)
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Summary: Inside scoop
Review: This book that tells the amazing story of how Tim Berners-Lee conceived of the Web and brought it into being. I've read many brief accounts of the early history of the Web, and could never believe that Berners-Lee managed to put together all of the necessary pieces, HTML, HTTP, client software, and server software all in one year. Yet in this book, Tim Berners-Lee recounts not only how he pulled it off (and who helped him), but also his motivation, which was even more interesting than how he did it. Berners-Lee covers not only the development of the Web, but also the browser wars and why they were fought. On the other hand, I found it a little surprising that he never mentioned JavaScript and its role for the Web. Occasionally, the prose gets a little technical for general audiences, but for the most part, it is extremely readable.
Rating:
Summary: Inside scoop
Review: This book that tells the amazing story of how Tim Berners-Lee conceived of the Web and brought it into being. I've read many brief accounts of the early history of the Web, and could never believe that Berners-Lee managed to put together all of the necessary pieces, HTML, HTTP, client software, and server software all in one year. Yet in this book, Tim Berners-Lee recounts not only how he pulled it off (and who helped him), but also his motivation, which was even more interesting than how he did it. Berners-Lee covers not only the development of the Web, but also the browser wars and why they were fought. On the other hand, I found it a little surprising that he never mentioned JavaScript and its role for the Web. Occasionally, the prose gets a little technical for general audiences, but for the most part, it is extremely readable.
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Summary: A well told tale of how it all began
Review: This is a charming book, written well and modestly by the inventor of the World Wide Web. The first part of the book, as Berners-Lee explains how the disparate parts came together, is especially fascinating. The second half provides Berners-Lee with an opportunity to describe his vision for the web. Whether you agree with him or not, he certainly has earned the right to express his opinions and he does it well. A great companion to this book is "Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origin of the Internet," by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon. Taken together you've got a history of what's changing history: the Internet and the World Wide Web.
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Summary: A story of a stunning achievement
Review: This is a fascinating book on several levels. It is first a great social history of improbable invention. Take an English computer specialist working at CERN (the European Nuclear Research Consortium in Switzerland) who comes up with an idea for a worldwide system of easy communications that merely means he has to invent the concept of the URI and URL system of universal identifiers on a web of interconnected computers so that users can find specific sites. Then create a single protocol for www that everyone on the planet will get used to including http as a protocol for transferring information across a variety of systems, and do all of this on a voluntary basis subsidized by a nuclear research facility that was focused on vastly different questions. This is the story of that stunning achievement but would be worth reading for only its own insights into technology and how societies evolve and how a determined creative and patient individual can impact on that evolution. However, this book is much more. It is second an introduction to a way of thinking about the web as a truly interactive system that allows people on a worldwide basis to work together. Berners-Lee notes that his vision of the web is not merely passive reading and passive accessing but the creation of a truly universal ability for people to work together and create a mutually better and more productive society by bringing people together as individuals on a worldwide basis. I found myself thinking much more about truly interactive participatory ideas with the web and how would you manage that level of creativity and group participation. This is a very worthwhile and easy to read story.
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Summary: A visionary who deserves our thanks
Review: This is a very important book from a visionary who created one of the single most important technological breakthroughs of our time--and gave it to the world for free! If you want to better understand the development of the Web and its potential for humanity, read this book. Thank you, Tim Berners-Lee.
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Summary: A must read for anyone interested in the Web
Review: This is an amazing account of how the Web came to be by the man who pulled together the ideas of many others to create it. Considering how much his invention has changed the world, he is incredibly humble in telling his story. Very easy and fast read. Also provides a good background knowledge of the technical side for those interested in creating for the Web. Which, as he states over and over again, was one of the main reasons he created it; so people from anywhere, no matter who they were, could reach other people and share information. I found the technical information very easily absorbed and easy to understand. But I want to point out this is NOT a techy, how-to manual, full of jargon. Merely one man's story and an overview of the technology and ideas surrounding him. Highly recommend to anyone.
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Summary: Great Bit History You've Never Heard Before
Review: This the real history behind the World Wide Web told by its creator/inventor Tim Berners-Lee. The author writes about the events leading up to the emergence of the web as a worldwide phenomenon in the mid-1990's. It was surprising to read about how much promoting and convincing Berners-Lee had to do in order to mobilize people to use the web. Also, the web isn't exactly aligned with Berners-Lee's original vision. He imagined a web in which users created content and information, rather than mostly read and react to it. Tim writes about steps that can be taken to steer the web toward that type of experience. The last two chapters, which summarize the author's vision for the future of the web, seemed a little unorganized and difficult to follow. It was as if the author was tired and inable to communicate a well-structured sequence of ideas. Perhaps I was just tired of reading (it was pretty late when I finished).
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