[Chicago] Good readings on the history of computing

[kirby urner]

On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 7:23 PM, Martin Maney <maney at two14.net> wrote:

> On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 08:00:01AM -0700, kirby urner wrote:
> > Good computer history and a classic worth collecting (I don't have it):
> >
> > 'Computer Lib / Dream Machines' by Ted Nelson.
>
> I hope I still have the copy I got back in the seventies - amazingly
> weird, fun book.
>

<< snip >>


>  And
> Knuth's joyfully contrary "Structured Programming with Goto
> Statements"  And much more.
>

I've never seen Knuth's programming with Goto statements thing.  I've
always thought a hyperlink could be described as a "goto statement"
for humans (and there's not even a return -- just your back button,
which some web pages fight you for).

However, Knuth's four volumes The Art of Computer Programming
does have a fair amount of history, I know from owning Semi-
Numerical Algorithms (stuff on Euclid's Method goes way back).
Plus it's an historic work all by itself.

So, partly inspired by this useful thread (glad it's archived in public,
I'll be going back to get more titles), I finally just bought his full
boxed
set of four volumes, 1-4a, woo hoo.

Kirby
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