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Turing and the Universal Machine: The Making of the Modern Computer (Revolutions in science)
 
 
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Turing and the Universal Machine: The Making of the Modern Computer (Revolutions in science) (Paperback)

by Jon Agar (Author) "Take out a Swiss Army knife and have a good look at it ..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 106 pages
  • Publisher: Icon Books Ltd (8 May 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1840462507
  • ISBN-13: 978-1840462500
  • Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11.1 x 1.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 282,628 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #47 in  Books > Biography > Science, Mathematics & Technology > Computers

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  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

New Scientist magazine, May 26th, 2001
Try Jon Agar's Turing and the Universal Machine. His excellent treatment [is] highly readable, of general interest and a useful introduction to the subject.

British Society for the History of Science, October 2001
This is a thought provoking yet highly readable book and is an excellent introduction to how the computer developed.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
Take out a Swiss Army knife and have a good look at it. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than it looks, 18 Jun 2003
By Julian Havil (Winchester, Hants United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This series of books seems cheaply produced and I found myself not attracted by the looks of the volume. Still, I did buy it and after all it's what is between the covers that really counts. One acknowledges Hodges biography of Turing as the definitive work on the man but this book does not look to compete. It has its own agenda and that agenda is realised in a profoundly clear, interesting and informed way; in short, the writing is quite superb in what it says and in how it says it. For the price, a bargain. Surely, anyone interested in Turing will want to read the book. Well done to the author.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant book, 15 Nov 2001
By A Customer
If you have ever wondered where the computers on your desk came from (and the ones in your car and washing machine), then this book is a great place to start.

Jon Agar opens up the subject in a light and superbly readable style, but isn't afraid of taking on subjects such as 19th Century mathematics or 20th Century code-breaking. We learn about the well known personalities (Turing and Babbage) and the less well known (from Aiken to Zuse), and we see how the thoughts of people as diverse as Godel and Euclid have brought computers to where they are today.

More importantly still he is able to place the advent of computing within a social and philosophical context that will inspire you to look further.

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars VERY disappointing, 4 Nov 2004
By A Customer
This is a very dull, ininspired, lazy book. It doesn't really do anything. There is not enough detail to reveal anything new, it is not engagingly written, and it is too short to even be comprehensive. I really can't see the point in it at all - it must have taken about an afternoon to research and write, and it takes about an hour to read. At the end you feel your time, and money, has simply been wasted.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
A fantastic book; informative, exciting, and in today's zeitgeist of all things IT (e-biz, etc.) it provides a fascinating insight on how one man helped technology get this far.
Published on 18 May 2001 by Flynn77

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