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The Man Who Invented the Computer by Jane Smiley
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The Man Who Invented the Computer

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The Man Who Invented the Computer by Jane Smiley
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Oct 19, 2010 | ISBN 9780307751140 | 496 Minutes

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  • Oct 19, 2010 | ISBN 9780385533720

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  • Oct 19, 2010 | ISBN 9780307751140

    496 Minutes

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PRAISE FOR THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE COMPUTER:

“Engrossing.  Smiley takes science history and injects it with a touch of noir and an exciting clash of vanities.”–Kirkus Reviews

Novelist Jane Smiley shines her talent on the underappreciated career of John Atansanoff, the man recognized as creating the first computer… . It’s a rare treat to read a book about digital science in the language of an acclaimed prose stylist.”—Bloomberg Businessweek
 
[Jane Smiley] follows the John McPhee-perfected recipe for historical journalism nicely and with élan:  take an abstruse subject, research it deeply, then humanize it tenderly, adding off-kilter insights and sharp portraits of the curious folks involved….  Smiley blends all these convergent and parallel narratives into a superb whole, as fetching and gripping as any novel. She displays an unwavering, cogent grasp of all the technical details, a keen eye for historical forces, and much psychological insight; her prose is a model of smooth transparency. Anyone who wants to understand the roots of our twenty-first century digital culture needs to read this book.”—Paul Di Filippo, Barnes & Noble Review
 

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