Walter Isaacson's 'The Innovators' Charts the History of Computing and the Internet

[IJ Reilly]

Am I the only one here who actually liked his Jobs book? Best biography I've ever read.

No, you are not alone, I liked it as well. Maybe I am biased though as I have known Walter personally for the past ten years and I am proud to have been a part of several projects and political think tanks with him.

By the way, he uses a Blackberry for what that is worth...

A few minor quibbles aside, I thought it was fine. I'll bet most of the instant experts have never read a biography before the Jobs book. What they definitely don't seem to appreciate is that no biography is ever the last, definitive word on a person. If he or she is historically interesting enough, other books will be written about them in the future. Those books might not have the advantage of access to the person, but they will have the advantage of historical perspective. Time is the real judge of the importance of a person, and will also be the judge of whether Issacson got more right than wrong.

 

[wizzerandchips]

Did you read what's contained in the book? The book begins with Ada Lovelace, who was a woman.

Unfortunately, because of sexism and racism, not that many women and people of color were early pioneers of computing, although the early Mac team included people like Susan Kare, a woman who designed all the early icons.

There's still a dearth of woman and people of color in tech companies. However, whether that's a result of racism and sexism in the industry, by academia or self-choices by women and people of color is open to question.

Go to a high school or even a junior high school and ask who wants to go into IT fields and my bet is that a lower percentage of women and people of color raise their hands. Unfortunately, people start self-discriminating at very young ages or are stereotyped into roles by their parents.

Arabs..as a race..what contribution have they made, in fact what have they invented that as changed the world ? so if you want to include a race then dont forget these.

 

[EightBitJoe]

I used Amazon's "Look Inside" feature. Not one mention of Chuck Peddle, Radio Shack's TRS-80, MOS Technology, or more than passing references to Commodore in the book. <sarcasm>I guess that's okay since Apple invented everything.</sarcasm>

 

[Poisednoise]

Arabs..as a race..what contribution have they made, in fact what have they invented that as changed the world ? so if you want to include a race then dont forget these.

I'm assuming this is sarcasm. But just in case it isn't, let's start with the concept of zero, without which mathematics as we know it doesn't exist, and the violin, guitar and shawm, without which musical history as we know it doesn't exist. Those are the two that instantly spring to mind...

 

[IJ Reilly]

I used Amazon's "Look Inside" feature. Not one mention of Chuck Peddle, Radio Shack's TRS-80, MOS Technology, or more than passing references to Commodore in the book. <sarcasm>I guess that's okay since Apple invented everything.</sarcasm>

The treatment of your favorite topics might have had something to do with the subject of the book.

 

[NSBeaker]

Arabs..as a race..what contribution have they made, in fact what have they invented that as changed the world ? so if you want to include a race then dont forget these.

So true wizzerandchips. Just think how great Apple could have been if Steve Jobs wasn’t half Syrian. Alas, we can only wonder.

Furthermore, people saying Babylonians invented algebra, blah, blah, blah… like that had anything to do with computers. I mean who understands those funny symbols anyway, amirite?

 

[k995]

I hope he remembered to include Al Gore as the father of the internet.

If you put his quote in context Gore was correct .

 

[zipa]

Does this book give adequate treatment to women and people of color who were early pioneers of computing?

Yes. Last time I checked Ada Lovelace was a woman and Babbage was not monochromatic.

 

[M-O]

Does this book give adequate treatment to women and people of color who were early pioneers of computing?

why did you leave out colorless men?

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

THe key to Job and Apple is * Experience *, when you have an experience, you don't compartementalize it in dozens of seperate specs. Jobs wanted those products to be a part of your life, not be your life.

Which meant, they looked nice, they simplified and augmented your life. You didn't need to learn to appreciate beige and bland and take a course to use a MAC or an ipod.

That's still the key to Apple right now. You see it in the verse ads and in the balanced Iphone Designs.

That's why I laugh at people who are amazed at Apple going into fashion? Who would argue that clothes and accessories are NOT par of people's lives. There's nothing surprising about that, it was predestined that eventually they'd end up there.

Neither, Samsung, Google, Amazon, Microsoft have the background to go there with credibility; it is not part of their genes. If Apple is able to strike hard there; they will differentiate themselves in a profound way from their competition and avoid the commodity trap.

They have a muddled marketing agenda. Pushing into Walmart, or being sucked in (?) was a waste. I was surprised they went there... Target too.

They were in danger of going 'Juicy', or 'Pink' to me. You know, the 'fake top of the line couture' that every teen tramp wears now. It loses its value, and cachet when it's spread across everyone's bottom...

Commodity is where they were headed. Commodity isn't what walks the high fashion runways in Paris, London, New York.

 

[bradkrischel]

Publishers decide these things, not authors. So the entire question is ludicrous.

I realize publishers ultimately decide these things, but I assumed the author would be involved in the process. Based on your 'A Confederacy of Dunces' avatar and username, I will take your word as fact! GREAT book!

 

[IJ Reilly]

I realize publishers ultimately decide these things, but I assumed the author would be involved in the process. Based on your 'A Confederacy of Dunces' avatar and username, I will take your word as fact! GREAT book!

It doesn't much matter. Would anyone involved with the writing, publishing, or marketing of this book not want to capitalize on Isaacson's connection to Steve Jobs? Writing is profession and publishing is a business. Shock, horror.

Somebody picks up on the name and avatar every few years. This is such a well-read crowd.

 

[Hammie]

Will I read it, sure. The history of computer, networks, and technology interests me.

I wonder, though, how much more information he will provide that is not already found in the writings of "Nerds 2.0.1," "Hackers," or "Where the Wizards Stay Up Late."

I understand that he goes back further than some, okay all, of these referenced books and he will hopefully add some newer technologies into the book.

It will be interesting how well he puts everything together and not make it sound like a 6th grade research paper.

 

[Lindahn]

Zero

I'm assuming this is sarcasm. But just in case it isn't, let's start with the concept of zero, without which mathematics as we know it doesn't exist, and the violin, guitar and shawm, without which musical history as we know it doesn't exist. Those are the two that instantly spring to mind...

Actually the use of zero as a number originated in India. A horse of a different color.

 

[bradkrischel]

It doesn't much matter. Would anyone involved with the writing, publishing, or marketing of this book not want to capitalize on Isaacson's connection to Steve Jobs? Writing is profession and publishing is a business. Shock, horror.

Somebody picks up on the name and avatar every few years. This is such a well-read crowd.

Completely agree with you.

It's disheartening that people only pick up on your name and avatar every few of years.

 

[scottsjack]

Just plain wrong.
You don't have a clue.....

OK, give me the facts.

 

[shamino]

May want to first read the "The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore" aka (in the second edition) "A Company on the Edge" by Brian Bagnall.

Another couple of books on computer history that you might find of interest:

Fire In The Valley by Michael Swaine and Paul Freiberger covers the history of personal computing, focusing mostly on the people and personalities. A new third edition is going to be released in a few weeks, which is supposed to extend the history into the post-PC era.

Code by Charles Petzold discusses the evolution of communication and languages, focusing on codes of all kinds, including computer software.

Revolution In The Valley by Andy Hertzfeld is a collection of essays (mostly from folklore.org) about the making of the Macintosh, as told by the engineers themselves.

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
Lets keep the PRSI comments out of this thread and stay on topic.

 

[fewlio]

Did you read what's contained in the book? The book begins with Ada Lovelace, who was a woman.

Unfortunately, because of sexism and racism, not that many women and people of color were early pioneers of computing, although the early Mac team included people like Susan Kare, a woman who designed all the early icons.

There's still a dearth of woman and people of color in tech companies. However, whether that's a result of racism and sexism in the industry, by academia or self-choices by women and people of color is open to question.

Go to a high school or even a junior high school and ask who wants to go into IT fields and my bet is that a lower percentage of women and people of color raise their hands. Unfortunately, people start self-discriminating at very young ages or are stereotyped into roles by their parents.

On average women aren't as good at higher lever math and science. Beyond high school level courses it really starts to reveal itself. The tech jobs pay well so there is every incentive to get into engineering and programming. In fact, women outnumber men in higher learning institutions, and no one prevents them from going into these fields. They choose not to because they are much more difficult class regimens for women than for men.

There are some exceptional women who can hack it, but on average what I've said is accurate. President of Harvard said the same and got in big trouble lol

 

[Naimfan]

Just read it.

BORING.

Mr. Isaacson managed to make a fascinating subject boring. His Jobs biography was . . . mediocre.

I wish Richard Rhodes had written it - would have been far more interesting and illuminating.