Out of Their Minds : Wrap-up

It took me a little while longer than I anticipated to finish the book, but I would still highly suggest it to anyone who wants to know a bit more about the history of computer science and its fathers. For the most part the text was written at a level that anyone could understand, and if you didn’t understand all of the mathematical underpinnings, it didn’t take away form the point of the chapter. The authors did a great job of showing the reader the meaningful lives that these early computer scientists lead. I come away from this book with a deeper appreciation for the modern PC, and for those people who invested the years of their lives to make these marvelous machines work.

The more reading I do in this field, the more I realize that it will be impossible to master it all. One may be able to gain a superficial knowledge of a great many sub-domains, however, it seems to me that eventually I will need to settle down and become the master of a few. As I read and study, I am beginning to find some areas more interesting than others – I think that is a good indicator of where I may land someday. In the meantime, I need to continue to soak up as much general information as I can.

The one sentence recommendation:
If you are looking for a good book that explains the history of computer science that was written so that the general population could understand and appreciate, this is the book for you.