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From Gutenberg to the Internet presents 63 original readings from the history of computing, networking, and telecommunications arranged thematically by chapters. Most of the readings record basic discoveries from the 1830s through the 1960s that laid the foundation of the world of digital information in which we live. These readings, some of which are illustrated, trace historic steps from the early nineteenth century development of telegraph systems—the first data networks—through the development of the earliest general-purpose progammable computers and the earliest software, to the foundation in 1969 of ARPANET, the first national computer network that eventually became the Internet. The readings will allow you to review early developments and ideas in the history of information technology that eventually led to the convergence of computing, data networking, and telecommunications in the Internet. The editor has written a lengthy illustrated historical introduction concerning the impact of the Internet on book culture. It compares and contrasts the transition from manuscript to print initiated by Gutenberg’s invention of printing by moveable type in the 15th century with the transition that began in the mid-19th century from a print-centric world to the present world in which printing co-exists with various electronic media that converged to form the Internet. He also provided a comprehensive and wide-ranging annotated timeline covering selected developments in the history of information technology from the year 100 up to 2004, and supplied introductory notes to each reading. Some introductory notes contain supplementary illustrations. |
From Gutenberg to the Internet: 8-1/2” x 11”. xvi, 900 pp. |
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REVIEWS: This is a very interesting, informative account of how information technology has evolved into what it is today. It shows the reader what had to be accomplished so we could use the Internet, a research tool that we use in our everyday lives. This handbook could be useful to anyone who has an interest in information technology and its abundant history. With that said, I don't feel that there is a particular target audience; this book has a relatively broad scope and would be something that anyone would benefit from reading. This could also be used as a study tool for students of computer science or communications. This book has a very extensive table of contents and a lengthy introduction that explains how certain technologies eventually became the Internet as we know it today. A chapter at the end of the book lists materials for further reading, and an index of names is included to make the book easier to use when locating information. There are a few illustrations and drawings throughout the book that add interest for the reader. Some of the text can be difficult to understand, but the images are a tool to help the reader understand what is trying to be conveyed. The book is divided into topic areas and the information contained in this handbook has been compiled from the writings of many different individuals, many of whom are experts in the field. For example, Charles Babbage, known to some as the "Father of Computing" is the source of much of the information contained in this book. This book exhibits the authority necessary to be of value to its readers. This book educates the reader about how much work went into what we now know as the Internet. It was a step-by-step process that took the work of many people. In today's society it is amazing how dependent everyone is on the technology that is available. It is important to realize also that the children of today never knew a world without the Internet. It raises the question: What's next? This sourcebook does a good job of getting its message across and it would be a valuable tool to add to any collection, especially if the library has students or others who wish to learn the roots of information technology, as we know it today. --D. Lynn Koenig, in Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (Fall 2005). Thank you for sending me "From Gutenberg to the Internet." It is quite an achievement. I keep it on my desk and whenever I have some time between meetings or just want to give myself a break from routine assignments, I browse through this invaluable source on the history of the greatest intellectual revolution. I have learned a lot and was surprised to discover what seminal roles certain Ph.D. dissertations or papers, which were unknown to me, played in this process. --Prof. Hanoch Gutfreund, former president of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Andre Aisenstadt Chair in Theoretical Physics at the university (in a letter dated August 8, 2005). Similar in concept to previous anthologies such as Great Papers in Computer
Science, [ed. by] Phillip Laplante (1996), this is the first collection of
primary source papers in information technology to cover such a large time
span. The 63 readings were originally published between the 1850s and 1970s,
and are organized by topics such as the mechanical production of
mathematical tables, data networks, logical design of early electronic
computers, origins of computer programming, and the origins of the Internet.
In a well-researched and thought-provoking introduction, Norman effectively
compares and contrasts the invention of the printing press to the Internet.
He includes a comprehensive time line of selected scientific, social, and -- K. D. Winward, Missouri State University, in ChoiceReviews.online (Dec. 2005).
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