Computers: The Life story of a Technology (pgs 1-83)

Computers: The life story of a Technology by Eric G. Swedin and David L. Ferro is a book informing the reader about the historical past of computers. In the opening chapter, Swedin and Ferro discuss the primal ages of computers beginning with anthropologic discoveries such as the Antikythera Device and Astrolabes. Slowly, the authors build their discussion as they introduce the crucial role that computers and technology began to take in the modern world. They start by talking about the early parts of math development such as logarithms and algorithms; the authors explain the establishment of the decimal system and other important parts of math progress. Swedin and Ferro explain how elementary parts of the mathematical system lead to higher more advanced levels and eventually the industrial revolution where these systems of automata began to remove the human element! The authors soon begin to introduce the early mechanical computers—the ancient relatives of the computers we use today. They use IBM as the leader of the early computers and discuss the company’s efforts to create the first analytical machine. I learned something interesting in their chapter section about the development of technology in computer chips. The project was initiated by John Atanasoff and started the concept of ‘jogging’ in computers in his ABC computer. This section was appealing to me because a lot of the computers that we use today still have that same concept, but I’m sure at much higher processing levels.

Another part of the book that I found interesting was in the authors’ discussion in the role of computers in war. And how technologies such as ENIAC and enigma code were just a crucial part in combat and in winning. Other topics that I found interesting in the topic of War and computers were the British Bomb and Code Decryption. I was able to fully understand the idea of an arms race not in terms of how many guns you have but more what kind of technology you have.

The book was interesting and well written. I feel that I was given a very in depth lecture on the early ages of computers, and their rise to what they are today. I realized that the world wouldn’t be in the state it is in now without computers and I realized that they play such a crucial role in society’s efficiency and power. The World is only going to become more and more dependent on technology like this because in the end, who doesn’t want their life easier? Companies are looking to reduce labor, and replace it with capital; to make things faster, less error, and more competent then any human could every be.