Engines of the Mind: The Evolution of the Computer from the Mainframes to Microprocessors

by Joel N. Shurkin

Book Overview

When John Mauchly and Presper Eckert developed the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) at the University of Pennsylvania during World War II, their intention was to aid artillerymen in aiming their guns. Since then, in the past fifty years, ENIAC and its offspring have changed the way we go about both business and science. Along with the transistor, the computer has brought about transformation on a scale unmatched since the industrial...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393314715
• ISBN13: 9780393314717
• Release Date: February 1996
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 364 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Good Book, Focused on People, Light Treatment of Theory

I recently read this book and "Computer : A History of the Information Machine" (The Sloan Technology Series) by Martin Campbell-Kelly and William Aspray(Contributor). Between the two books you get a fairly thorough treatment of the events that led to the modern computer and the historical development of these machines. "Engines of the Mind" is much more focused on the people that are behind the story, and less focused on the businesses and theory of computing that those individuals helped advance. Mr. Shurkin starts his novel at the beginning, quite literally, walking through early usage of numbers and counting through the development of modern numbers. Anyone familiar with early history will recognize the tale, although some interesting insights are provided. He then walks us through a fairly detailed treatment of Charles Babbage, and even describes fairly well the theory behind the development of his Difference Engine. We are then walked through the development of punch card machines to aid the US in post Civil War censuses, which leads to Hollerith's founding Tabulating Machine Co. which would become IBM. Shurkin focuses on the individuals that developed these main frames, so we then spend some time on ENIAC and its many offspring. Here the author starts to diverge into a somewhat personal discussion of who was the "real" founder of the mainframe, and thus the computer. The author does a good job of saying he does not believe Von Neumann's claims to be this father, and that Atanasoff's claims appear fictitious as well. Regardless of who 'wins' this argument, it would have been nice to know more of the author's own background in order to understand whether or how he was biased. The book wraps up with the development of Microsoft and Apple, but again focuses more on the backgrounds of their charasmatic leaders rather than the business forces that led those companies to their prominence.The story is told logically and does a good job of letting the reader peek at the character of those people who were instrumental in the development of the computer. However, it would have been nice to see more of the overall environment in which these decisions were made. I believe that this book, combined with Campbell-Kelly and Aspray's book do a good job of telling the whole story regarding the development of the PC (neither focus much on theory), it would be wrong to read just one of them. I recommend this book, however, I would read the other text first.

People First

Shurkin begins his book "This book is about people, not machines" and he delivers. Mauchly, Eckert, Atanasoff, Berry, Goldstein and von Neumann all but come alive. But, the machines are not neglected. We see how hard it actually was to create what our time takes for granted. The history of the computer feels much less neglected because of this book.

An outstanding synopsis of early computer development.

This outstanding book concisely describes the early years of computing, the personalities involved, and the various external influences impacting the evolution of the art. As noted in other remarks, the focus is on the critical nascent period of the late 1940's through the mid-1960's; microprocessor/desktop development are placed in context but generally left to other works.If limited to a single text on this period, this book would be my unconditional choice. Few other authors synopses impart the excitement of the Moore School as this daunting task is undertaken.

An excellent book on the history of early computers

I have read over 50 books on the subject of computers in the last year (I am a computer trainer), and the book I put at the very top of this list is Joel Shurkin's Engines of the Mind. The book is a look at the early development of computers, and contains particularly fascinating portraits of Charles Babbage, Herman Hollerith, Eckert and Mauchly, and John von Neumann. It is an excellent history of computers from Babbage to the 1960s; my understanding is that it was not the author's intent to address PCs in the book. I usually recommend this book to people along with Robert Cringeley's Accidental Empires -- Shurkin's book as the "pre-PC" book, and Cringeley's as the "post-PC" book. Shurkin's book is extremely well written, and well worth reading.

Excellent history of the dawning of the computer age.

An excellent history of the computer and those individuals who were instumental in developing their ideas which led to the construction of ENIAC in 1946 to the present desktops we use today. Primarily focused on ENIAC's developers, J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchley, the story of their struggle, both technically and legally, is told with clarity and sense of suspense as each chapter unfolds. Consider this book an indispensable volume of how we have arrived at where we are in the current computer/internet/information age.