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Summary: A computer chronology that reads like a novel
Review: If The Dream Machine were a novel, you might conclude the author used every writer's technique to make it a thriller. Even though you know the outcome, you wonder how the many "miracles" and lucky breaks it took for the dream to become reality.
Rating:
Summary: A computer chronology that reads like a novel
Review: If The Dream Machine were a novel, you might conclude the author used every writer's technique to make it a thriller. Even though you know the outcome, you wonder how the many "miracles" and lucky breaks it took for the dream to become reality.
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Summary: Great Man, Poor writing
Review: Licklider was an incredibly influential man of the 20th century and he deserves a better written biography. Waldrop's talents are limited, and they have diminished since his earlier books (e.g., Complexity). If you are willing to put up with poor writing, check this book out to learn about a great man. Hopefully someone with better skills will take on this subject matter.
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Summary: Who really created Windows?
Review: Many books and documentaries have been produced chronicling the emergence of the mouse, windows and the internet. Most focus on familiar personalities: Gates, Wozniak, Jobs, and that crowd. But, that's too simplistic; they're merely the contemporary pioneers of the modern computer age. All of these invetions were propelled by visionaries of an earlier age, and J.C.R. Lickleider was one them. If you're interested in the history of emergent technology, you'll be fascinated by this alternate tale of the computer revolution in which one man became the focal point of technological change. His name is not a familiar one to most, yet without his ability to get university (and later government) financing for what seemed like zany ideas at the time, we might not have seen the development of ARPAnet, the progenitor of the modern internet. Though Lickleider himself probably never had a complete vision of what was to come from his efforts, there can be little doubt that his role was pivotal.Author Waldrop takes you through Lickleider's life in academia where he struggled to push his vision of "computing for everyone" in which computers really would be used by the common person, not just by the military or major corporations -- a vision which was understandably rejected by most of his peers when computers were still the size of living rooms and cost as much as the GDP of small nations. Readers who are familiar with James Burke's "Connections" series will see a similar pattern to this story in which one person was at the right place at the right time to gather disperate technological threads together. Lickleider was not responsible for tying the final knot of these threads together, but without his influence, it might have taken a lot longer.
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Summary: From WW-II to the internet age -- the best history yet
Review: Now I am biased, but this is the very best book I have yet read on the devlopment of the Information processing industry -- the PC, the internet, etc. I lived through this era and know, studied with, or am good friends of a large proportion of the people discused in the book (no, I'm not in it). It is strange, but when you are living through a revolution, it is invisible. That's why books like this that put everything in perspective are so valuable. Sure, we knew it was exciting, but we thought that was the way things always were. I seem to have followed just a few years behind all the events described here, so I benifited from the results, whether it was the TX-0 computer, the early PDP series, Lick himself, or the people and early Alto machines at Xerox Parc. I knew Lick when he was just a psychoacoustician so I am delighted to have him receive proper recognition for the seminal role he played, especially when he ws at ARPA and funded the early wor on time-shared computers. Well written and accurate, with new insights into just how the information processing revolution came about. What else could you ask for?
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Summary: Turning a Vision of Expanded Human Potential into Reality!
Review: The Dream Machine deserves many more than five stars. Mr. Waldrop provides a valuable synthesis of several important perspectives: (1) The development of personal, interconnected computing from its fundamental roots in academic and corporate scientific thinking, conceptualization, and experimentation; (2) How the vision of one man, Professor J. C. R. Licklider, played an important role in nurturing the development of this form of computing; (3) How creating a computing community that frequently shared ideas in-person and on-line accelerated the development of the technology and the society it served; and (4) How the contributions of the major and minors players fit together to bring us where we are today. Whenever I read a book about the history or current state of computing in the future, The Dream Machine will be valuable for helping me put the observations into context. This is true despite the fact that I have been doing consulting in this industry for almost 30 years, and had early access to many of its important innovations. In fact, if you only read one book about computers in the next two years, The Dream Machine should be that book. As valuable as I found that framing of the development, I was even more impressed with seeing how to foster fundamental human development through this example. Professor Licklider was trained initially in psychology. From that unusual perspective on computers, he quickly perceived what humans can do better than computers (make judgments, fine distinctions, and decide what order to do things in) and what computers can do better than humans (make difficult calculations, remember lots of things at the same time, and rearrange mountains of information into new forms of order). He also foresaw that the full exploitation of these combinations would have to come from playing with a responsive computer that did your bidding during real time. Although he knew that the costs of such would be prohibitive for many years, he helped encourage first time sharing and later software protocols that would bring the experience to as many people as soon as possible. Although he was not alone in his perception of all this, he was unique in his dedication and influence in bringing it all together through a long career as an academic and business researcher, visionary leader, professor, mentor, and twice head of ARPA computing activities in the Pentagon. His life should be an object lesson to all about how much difference one can make through bringing the right people and resources together to work on the right questions. If you are like me, you will find reading about Professor Licklider to be one of the most moving experiences you will ever have from reading a combination of history and biography. Some will complain because the book relies primarily on secondary sources. I found that foundation in books and stories I know well to be its strength. There is an enormous amount written about the history of computers and key people. How it all fits together is what I needed, not a new theory of what happened. Having been in the middle of or next to much of what is described here, I also came away with many new perspectives on where computing should go from here. In essence, this book succeeded in transferring Professor Licklider's vision and perspectives to me. Having seen how profound his vision has been, I can only hope that this transfer will take place for many people and coming generations through this outstanding book. I should note that for those who are not technically oriented this book is easy to read and understand, even though it is about a technical subject. I was also impressed that the personalities of the various pioneers in computer research came through loud and clear. Many of these people are known to me primarily through their accomplishments. I was glad to find out about them as people. After you finish this wonderful book, I encourage you to think about where you have a unique vision for how to improve the world that no one else understands or is as committed to as you are. How can you advance that understanding to the benefit of all? Take a long, hard look at how we can come closer to our potential as humans!
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Summary: Nothing but net
Review: This is a great book. If you get a kick out of the history of computing then this will be a read you will treasure. Working in a large organization and making something happen of significance is a challenge and often times a minor miracle. If your perceptions of Washington DC and the Pentago are about bureaucracy then read how this committed soul reached a summit of incredible altitude as his vision became the stuff that makes this review happen.
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Summary: An outstanding history of computer science
Review: This is the best history of computer science that I know. Unlike many "histories" that merely review the commercial exploitation of computers, this book focuses on the evolution of ideas and the innovators who carried the field forward. It spans my thirty years as a computer science researcher and agrees well with my experience and observations during that time. For anyone interested in obtaining a coherent picture of where the computer revolution came from, this book is a must.
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