COMPUTER SCIENCEAn Illustrated History of the World’s Smartest Machines
(100 Ponderables)
Tom Jackson
Includes a removable, foldout 12-page timeline/chart poster
978-1-62795-200-2 | Hardcover | 168 pages | 9.25″ x 11.2″
List Price: $24.95
DESCRIPTION
Here is the essential guide to computers, an authoritative reference book and timeline about the most powerful tools ever devised. Computing has been the sharp end of cutting-edge technology for a generation and it now permeates all our lives. But to many computer science remains something of a mystery. Our story begins long before the silicon chip, when the pinnacle of binary code was found in the Chinese I-Ching, when Algorithm was a man from Baghdad, and when Lord Byron’s daughter wrote the first software—in ink. Above all the first computers were humans, but today they are anything but. Our journey hacks through the jargon jungle of blockchains, botnets, and bitcoins, to arrive at the latest computing technologies, which will no doubt be changing our world all over again.
- Contains chronological articles that tell the story of computers through 100 discoveries and inventions.
- A guide to computer science demystifies the subject, setting out the basics with light-hearted text and simple diagrams.
- Includes biographies of the great computer scientists, such as Babbage, Turing, and Berners-Lee.
- A series of infographics presenting the mind-boggling facts and figures of modern computing at a glance also boosts the contents for all readers.
- Includes a removable, foldout 12-page timeline/chart poster
Computer Science is part of the bestselling 100 Ponderables series which tackles STEM subjects by partnering lively text about significant milestones with stunning illustrations. Every book includes a timeline/chart poster which puts these milestones in historical context. Perfect for smart kids and curious adults!
REVIEWS
“Computer Science is comprised of chronological articles that tell the story of computers through 100 discoveries and inventions. This informative guide to computer science demystifies the subject, setting out the basics with light-hearted text and simple diagrams. Of special note is the inclusion of biographies of important computer scientists, such as Babbage, Turing, and Berners-Lee. A series of infographics presenting the mind-boggling facts and figures of modern computing at a glance also boosts the contents for all readers and a 12-page foldout Timeline poster which stretches out to 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) long. Especially and unreservedly recommended for family, middle school, high school, and community library Computer Science & History collections, this large format (11.2 x 9.25 x 1 inches, 2.45 pounds) hardcover edition of Computer Science: An Illustrated History of the World’s Smartest Machines from Shelter Harbor Press is an ideal and comprehensive introduction to the history and ever evolving technology that now shapes and reshapes the human world on a daily basis.”
Midwest Book Review, December 2024
“…you’ll find beautifully illustrated pages listing 100 breakthroughs and important subject areas in the field…all explained in plain language that is easily accessible. These are great texts for reference or exploring a new area of interest, and they have a foldout timeline guide… depicting milestones in the field.”
Jaime Herndon, American Scientist, 2024
AUTHOR BIO
Tom Jackson is a science writer based in the United Kingdom. Tom specializes in recasting science and technology into lively historical narratives. After almost 20 years of writing, Tom has uncovered a wealth of stories that help create new ways to enjoy learning about science. He studied at the University of Bristol and still lives in the city with his wife and three children.