Ask HN: Good books on the history of computer science?

7 points by ninetax 13y ago ↗ HN

I like computer science, but I would like to know more about it's history. Any good book recommendations? Maybe a good book on the overview and then some good ones on specific aspects (business, technical, biographies, etc.)

8 comments

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iamdann 13y ago ↗

Hackers by Steven Levy, if you haven't read that yet

ninetax 13y ago ↗

Thanks, I'll check it out!

jrmenon 13y ago ↗

While not a complete history, the following book, 'Design and Evolution of C++', does go into some history of other languages that influenced C++:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Design-Evolution-Bjarne-Stroustrup...

If you happen to be in bay area, visiting the 'Computer History Museum' is a good start too:

http://www.computerhistory.org/

RNeff 13y ago ↗

Computing: A Concise History by Paul E. Ceruzzi

From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of the Software Industry by Martin Campbell-Kelly/

The Computer History Museum is in Mountain View, CA, part of Silicon Valley, close to the Googleplex and Microsoft SV. It has the second, working Babbage Difference Engine. Also a youtube channel of lectures.

ninetax 13y ago ↗

Cool, I'll take a look that those. I didn't get around to seeing the computer history museum this summer, maybe another time. It sounds awesome!

seltzered_ 13y ago ↗

CODE by Charles Petzold might be worth it.

turbojerry 13y ago ↗

Turing's Cathedral

Darwin Among the Machines

Technomanifestos

Possiplex

What Technology Wants

A couple of not computer related, but quite interesting books-

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History

ronyeh 13y ago ↗

I enjoyed this one: http://www.codersatwork.com/ A bunch of interviews with famous coders.