Author: Rachel Ignotofsky
Publisher: Clarkson Potter / Ten Speed Press

A strikingly illustrated overview of the computing machines that have changed our world—from the abacus to the smartphone—and the people who made them, by the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Women in Science.Computers are everywhere and have impacted our lives in so many ways. But who created them, and why? How have they transformed the way that we interact with our

surroundings and each other?

Packed with accessible information, fun facts and discussion starters, this charming and art-filled book takes you from the ancient world to the modern day, focusing on important inventions, from the earliest known counting systems to the sophisticated algorithms behind AI. The History of the Computer also profiles a diverse range of key players and creators—from An Wang and Margaret Hamilton to Steve Jobs and Sir Tim Berners-Lee—and illuminates their goals, their intentions and the impact of their inventions on our everyday lives.

This entertaining and educational journey will help you understand our most important machines and how we can use them to enhance the way we live. You’ll never look at your phone the same way again!

A very informative and creative book for tech enthusiasts. If you are computer savvy or a self-proclaimed nerd, how about learning some of the history and development of your beloved hardware?

I love the graphics and images in the book, which is informal and very quirky. It lets the reader grasp what early tools and computers look like. Interesting facts are everywhere, all well incorporated with the topics being discussed.

Each chapter is divided into eras and elaborated on under various topic headings.

There’s “timeline,” with chronologically-organized highlights of technology development.

There are “important inventions”: groundbreaking inventions and their impact on society.

Another section concerns “influential people,” including key contributors from each period.

“Featured biographies” show the lives and histories of exemplary people and organizations.

There are also lots and lots of images that readers will surely love.

My personal favorite is the section on influential people. I applaud how the author gives attention to people of various races and both genders. As we all know, these amazing individuals worked tirelessly and mostly unnoticed throughout history, so it is admirable that this book gives them the recognition they deserve.

Not only did I love the book’s arts and graphics, but it is well-researched, loaded with interesting points and trivia. Almost half the information and people mentioned were new to me. And yet, despite that, my attention never wavered. I’m looking forward to the next one!

- Kevin Valayo