Recommended anecdotal/history book(s) on programming in the 60s and 70s

Question

Hi, this is more a question about programming culture and history. I do web development, and my girlfriend's father used to do software dev from the 60s through the 90s. He doesn't seem that connected to the industry now, and isn't really forthcoming about his experience or work; we get along fine in general but I'd like to draw him out a little on our nerdy common ground and try to connect.

I'm considering Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park. There are several books about that topic though, any particular favorites around here?

Any other good anecdotal books out there about the pioneers of computing, software, or nerd hero stories (seems like the 70s were full of some pretty good characters)?

Answer 1

I would suggest getting a subscription to the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. That magazine has covered a lot of early software work in recent years, including how software as an industry was born when IBM "unbundled" in the late 1960s. I find the personal life stories of early software entrepreneurs especially interesting. The 1980s are really the heyday of software, with piles of innovation on the GUI side.

Answer 2

"The Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder.

It describes the gestation of a new Data General minicomputer - It's more hardware than software from what I recall, but still fascinating and a great read.

I remember the quote on a resignation note from a nanosecond-obsessed engineer:

"I’m going to a commune in Vermont and will deal with no unit of time shorter than a season."

Answer 3

I can recommend 'The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer,' by David Leavitt.

It's the story about Alan Turing, but he played a central role in the invention of the computer.

Answer 4

The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll is a very readable one from the computer security area.

Showstopper is another good one about the development of NT

My personal favorite is The New New Thing by Michael Lewis, which is about Jim Clark (of Silicon Graphics and Netscape fame). (And though it has nothing to do with tech, Liar's Poker by the same author is a thumping good read, and especially relevant in these times!)

Answer 5

"Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution" by Steven Levy. Gates, Jobs, Woz... and a cast of thousands. Covers '50s - '80s.

Answer 6

Cuckoo's Egg is one of my favorites. This is along the lines of nerd hero story. Random guy finds a 75 cent accounting error which leads to tracking down international espionage.

Quick and fun read

Answer 7

I enjoyed Computing in the Middle Ages: A View From the Trenches 1955-1983. It provides a first-person perspective on the academic and industrial research that foreshadowed the concept of a "personal" computer.

Answer 8

Brooks' The Mythical Man Month has many amusing stories about feature creep in developing OS/360, which was sort of the Windows Vista of its time.

More recently, but still "ancient history" in computer time is Revolution in the Valley, the story of the development of the Macintosh.

Answer 9

i have this copy of "computer lib" circa 1970's. if you can find a copy, he may find it interesting.

these are classic: http://i.f.alexander.users.btopenworld.com/reviews/dijkstra.htm, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithms_%2B_Data_Structures_%3D_Programs

Answer 10

You mention "through the 90s" in your post above.

Popular book on computing which covers 1987 - 1990.

The Hacker Crackdown

Answer 11

Thanks everyone -- good suggestions. I went with the Kidder, but I'll probably read some more of these myself.

Answer 12

This list wouldn't be complete without the history of artists who pioneered the use of programming in creating art - much of their work pushed the boundaries of computing at the time. Alongside the more well-known names, some of these artists were - effectively - key co-developers and genuine innovators.

Much of this history has recently been published in Paul Brown's 'White Heat Cold Logic: British Computer Art 1960-1980' from the MIT Press, and Oliver Grau's (Ed.) MediaArtHistories, from MIT's Leonardo Book Series. There is more information about this era on the Computer Arts Society website, and at the Media Art Histories conferences website. You might also find the Database of Virtual Art interesting.