[SIGCIS-Members] Ada Lovelace @ 200

[Andrew Russell]

Dear colleagues -

To mark 200 years since Ada Lovelace’s birth, we have published a new book with ACM Press/Morgan & Claypool titled “Ada’s Legacy: Cultures of Computing from the Victorian to the Digital Age”.  The book is edited by me and my colleague at Stevens, Robin Hammerman, and features chapters by scholars from disciplines such history (including CBI's Tom Misa), literature, art, Internet studies, and more.

Misa’s chapter might be of particular interest for those who think that the claim that Ada was the “world’s first programmer” deserves some scrutiny, context, and a more nuanced interpretation of Ada’s accomplishments.

Here is the blurb:
Ada's Legacy illustrates the depth and diversity of writers, thinkers, and makers who have been inspired by Ada Lovelace, the English mathematician and writer. The volume, which commemorates the bicentennial of Ada's birth in December 1815, celebrates Lovelace's many achievements as well as the impact of her life and work, which reverberated widely since the late nineteenth century. In the 21st century we have seen a resurgence in Lovelace scholarship, thanks to the growth of interdisciplinary thinking and the expanding influence of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Ada's Legacy is a unique contribution to this scholarship, thanks to its combination of papers on Ada's collaboration with Charles Babbage, Ada's position in the Victorian and Steampunk literary genres, Ada's representation in and inspiration of contemporary art and comics, and Ada's continued relevance in discussions around gender and technology in the digital age.

With the 200th anniversary of Ada Lovelace's birth on December 10, 2015, we believe that the timing is perfect to publish this collection of papers. Because of its broad focus on subjects that reach far beyond the life and work of Ada herself, Ada's Legacy will appeal to readers who are curious about Ada's enduring importance in computing and the wider world.


Here is the url to order the book from M&C: http://www.morganclaypoolpublishers.com/catalog_Orig/product_info.php?products_id=859

Here are some sample pages (front matter and intro): http://arussell.org/papers/Ada.pdf

Finally, if you happen to find yourself in Oxford today (right now!) at the Lovelace Symposium, please find Robin Hammerman to get a copy of the book and an Ada t-shirt :)

Happy birthday Ada!!

Cheers,

Andy (from Hoboken) and Robin (from Oxford)
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