Kurt Beyer's book on Grace Hopper is quite good. On Sep 3, 2020, Marc Weber <marc@webhistory.org> wrote:

The Dream Machine by Mitch Waldrop on J.C.R. Licklider is a real classic. It is also an important history of his entire milieu, and of early work in timesharing, networking, Web-like online systems, etc. It’s a trade book but deeply researched and referenced.

Best, Marc

...

On Sep 3, 2020, at 04:31, Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk> wrote:

Dear SIG-CIS,

What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked.

I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first.

Best,

Troy Astarte

School of Computing Newcastle University

_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org

Marc Weber <http://www.computerhistory.org/staff/Marc,Weber/> | marc@webhistory.org | +1 415 282 6868 Internet History Program Curatorial Director, Computer History Museum

1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 computerhistory.org/nethistory <http://computerhistory.org/nethistory> Co-founder, Web History Center and Project, webhistory.org

------------------------------------------------------------------------

_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org

I’ve just started reading Endless Frontier and so far it is truly excellent. Zachary more recently published a collection of Bush’s papers to go with it. Best, Marc Marc Weber <http://www.computerhistory.org/staff/Marc,Weber/> | marc@webhistory.org | +1 415 282 6868 | Zoom 901 292 1071 Curatorial Director, Internet History Program Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 computerhistory.org/nethistory | Co-founder, Web History Center and Project

On Sep 3, 2020, at 10:16, Alex Ramirez <AlexRamirez@CUNET.CARLETON.CA> wrote:

Troy,

I constantly refer to

Zachary, G. P. (1999). Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

Alex

From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> On Behalf Of Troy Astarte Sent: September 3, 2020 7:31 AM To: members <members@sigcis.org> Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Request for biographies

[External Email] Dear SIG-CIS,

What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked.

I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first.

Best,

Troy Astarte

School of Computing Newcastle University

_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org

Marc Weber <http://www.computerhistory.org/staff/Marc,Weber/> | marc@webhistory.org | +1 415 282 6868 | Zoom 901 292 1071 Curatorial Director, Internet History Program Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 computerhistory.org/nethistory | Co-founder, Web History Center and Project

The members of this list has given careful/critical readings of many of the popular biographies. It would be worth reading those archived notes. Beyond computing, Michael Neufield’s biography of Wernher von Braun, “Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War” coupled with his early monograph, “The Rocket and the Reich” offer an excellent example of how a biography/monograph combination can really illuminate a reader/researcher’s understanding. Debbie Douglas On Sep 3, 2020, at 2:12 PM, Heyck, Hunter <hheyck@ou.edu<mailto:hheyck@ou.edu>> wrote: These are very good suggestions. If a bit of self-promotion isn’t too crass 😊, I’m rather fond of my biography of Herbert Simon: Herbert A. Simon: the bounds of reason in modern America, JHU Press 2005. It’s a fair bit older, but I’ve always liked Steven Heims’ John von Neumann and Norbert Wiener: From Mathematics to the Technologies of Life and Death(MIT Press, 1980). Unusual in that it’s a dual biography, but quite good. Best, --Hunter -- Dr. Hunter Heyck Professor and Chair, Department of the History of Science University of Oklahoma 601 Elm St, PHSC 601 Norman, OK 73019-0315 405-556-1145 (M) <image001.jpg> From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org<mailto:members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org>> on behalf of Marc Weber <marc@webhistory.org<mailto:marc@webhistory.org>> Date: Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 12:48 PM To: Alex Ramirez <AlexRamirez@CUNET.CARLETON.CA<mailto:AlexRamirez@CUNET.CARLETON.CA>> Cc: members <members@sigcis.org<mailto:members@sigcis.org>> Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Request for biographies I’ve just started reading Endless Frontier and so far it is truly excellent. Zachary more recently published a collection of Bush’s papers to go with it. Best, Marc Marc Weber<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.computerhistory.org_staff_Marc-2CWeber_&d=DwMFaQ&c=qKdtBuuu6dQK9MsRUVJ2DPXW6oayO8fu4TfEHS8sGNk&r=BM0VlL6M9YOYuQiIBopsWA&m=3IwJOQ7m_7hYjnqa4Sg9oLMmiMyehXTbR7JAFpr5lOo&s=nPiDLCWJejndOxjjsTbiRxFyaAdA9MuTwMO3Lx5HSVw&e=> | marc@webhistory.org<mailto:marc@webhistory.org> | +1 415 282 6868 | Zoom 901 292 1071 Curatorial Director, Internet History Program Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 computerhistory.org/nethistory<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__computerhistory.org_nethistory&d=DwMFaQ&c=qKdtBuuu6dQK9MsRUVJ2DPXW6oayO8fu4TfEHS8sGNk&r=BM0VlL6M9YOYuQiIBopsWA&m=3IwJOQ7m_7hYjnqa4Sg9oLMmiMyehXTbR7JAFpr5lOo&s=ZX9kenW3ovZ-rhZkZ9lmzT0YepDOpLC0Iz1UWRjduzY&e=> | Co-founder, Web History Center and Project On Sep 3, 2020, at 10:16, Alex Ramirez <AlexRamirez@CUNET.CARLETON.CA<mailto:AlexRamirez@CUNET.CARLETON.CA>> wrote: Troy, I constantly refer to Zachary, G. P. (1999). Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Alex From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org<mailto:members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org>> On Behalf Of Troy Astarte Sent: September 3, 2020 7:31 AM To: members <members@sigcis.org<mailto:members@sigcis.org>> Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Request for biographies [External Email] Dear SIG-CIS, What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked. I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first. Best, Troy Astarte School of Computing Newcastle University _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__sigcis.org&d=DwMFaQ&c=qKdtBuuu6dQK9MsRUVJ2DPXW6oayO8fu4TfEHS8sGNk&r=BM0VlL6M9YOYuQiIBopsWA&m=3IwJOQ7m_7hYjnqa4Sg9oLMmiMyehXTbR7JAFpr5lOo&s=YwjlC7ddSFEKUxzEFDjw9r5mqK2cM_93F4A-cB0qcHc&e=>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are athttp://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lists.sigcis.org_pipermail_members-2Dsigcis.org_&d=DwMFaQ&c=qKdtBuuu6dQK9MsRUVJ2DPXW6oayO8fu4TfEHS8sGNk&r=BM0VlL6M9YOYuQiIBopsWA&m=3IwJOQ7m_7hYjnqa4Sg9oLMmiMyehXTbR7JAFpr5lOo&s=6U3w-JJOhPw1nKBJaY2FmyAAa5h65taOy_qV0AClyt0&e=> and you can change your subscription options athttp://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lists.sigcis.org_listinfo.cgi_members-2Dsigcis.org&d=DwMFaQ&c=qKdtBuuu6dQK9MsRUVJ2DPXW6oayO8fu4TfEHS8sGNk&r=BM0VlL6M9YOYuQiIBopsWA&m=3IwJOQ7m_7hYjnqa4Sg9oLMmiMyehXTbR7JAFpr5lOo&s=H1NsMHQ8ht8c6laQk0ecAolvaEG0R4MHqu-UGM1A0MY&e=> Marc Weber<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.computerhistory.org_staff_Marc-2CWeber_&d=DwMFaQ&c=qKdtBuuu6dQK9MsRUVJ2DPXW6oayO8fu4TfEHS8sGNk&r=BM0VlL6M9YOYuQiIBopsWA&m=3IwJOQ7m_7hYjnqa4Sg9oLMmiMyehXTbR7JAFpr5lOo&s=nPiDLCWJejndOxjjsTbiRxFyaAdA9MuTwMO3Lx5HSVw&e=> | marc@webhistory.org<mailto:marc@webhistory.org> | +1 415 282 6868 | Zoom 901 292 1071 Curatorial Director, Internet History Program Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 computerhistory.org/nethistory<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__computerhistory.org_nethistory&d=DwMFaQ&c=qKdtBuuu6dQK9MsRUVJ2DPXW6oayO8fu4TfEHS8sGNk&r=BM0VlL6M9YOYuQiIBopsWA&m=3IwJOQ7m_7hYjnqa4Sg9oLMmiMyehXTbR7JAFpr5lOo&s=ZX9kenW3ovZ-rhZkZ9lmzT0YepDOpLC0Iz1UWRjduzY&e=> | Co-founder, Web History Center and Project _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org<http://sigcis.org/>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org Deborah G. Douglas, PhD • Director of Collections and Curator of Science and Technology, MIT Museum; Research Associate, Program in Science, Technology, and Society • Room N51-209 • 265 Massachusetts Avenue • Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 • ddouglas@mit.edu<mailto:ddouglas@mit.edu> • 617-253-1766 telephone • 617-253-8994 facsimile • http://mitmuseum.mit.edu • she/her/hers

Dear colleagues, I wade in to this topic with some trepidation, because I don’t have a particular recommendation that I have read, but surely there must be some well-done biographies about women-identified scientists and mathematicians? A quick look at Autumn Stanley’s 1993 Mothers and Daughters of Invention: Notes for a Revised History of Technology lists a number of names and short bios. I haven’t read it, but perhaps Evelyn Fox Keller’s A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock (1983)? Of course, there’s Margot Shetterly’s Hidden Figures about Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, which isn’t strictly a biography (and which I also haven’t read.) In short, I would welcome further recommendations and also encourage those of us who are writing about white male-identified scientists to ask who was not in the room or at the table or getting recognized during their lifetimes. Sincere thanks for the collected wisdom of SIGCIS, Sharon Irish Research Affiliate School of Information Sciences University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Jeffrey Yost <yostx003@umn.edu> Date: Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 1:17 PM To: Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk> Cc: members <members@sigcis.org> Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Request for biographies Hi Troy, Bill Aspray's John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing, a deeply insightful and path breaking work of scholarship, in large part a biography, and much more. Andrew Hodges Alan Turing: The Enigma. Leslie Berlin's The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley is a great bio on this influential physicist, engineer, and entrepreneur in IT. (And sticking with the Fairchild, Intel and Silicon Valley theme...) Arnold Thackray, David Brock, and Rachel Jones' Moore's Law: The Life of Gordon Moore, Silicon Valley's Quiet Revolutionary. Agree what others have said on Waldrop's The Dream Machine, an excellent book by this top science journalist. And I very highly recommend Hunter's excellent biography on Herbert Simon. Best, Jeff The Man behind the Microchip : Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley "Injustice wears the same harsh face wherever it shows itself."-Ralph Ellison Jeffrey R. Yost, Ph.D. Director, Charles Babbage Institute Research Professor, Program in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine 222 21st Avenue South University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 612 624 5050 Phone 612 625 8054 Fax On Thu, Sep 3, 2020 at 6:31 AM Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk<mailto:Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk>> wrote: Dear SIG-CIS, What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked. I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first. Best, Troy Astarte School of Computing Newcastle University _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org<http://sigcis.org>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org

I loved *A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mind_at_Play>* by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman. I got inspired to read it after seeing *The Bit Player* - a film that I described in a posting to this list on Aug. 3, 2019. I have now seen it a second time at the Ashland, Oregon Independent Film Festival which was online this year. After the screening, the 2 authors and the filmmaker were part of an online interactive chat that was partly similar to the live discussion following the screening a year ago. It was great to see the film both before and after reading the book. A good friend (Alex Magoun) who is on the IEEE History Committee is credited in the Acknowledgments section with helping the book editing process "immeasurably." I also thoroughly enjoyed Leslie Berlin's Troublemakers: Silicon Valley's Coming of Age <https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Troublemakers/Leslie-Berlin/9781451651515> which profiles 7 key people. It bounces around re: their contributions as time progresses in the book from the 1970s until the early 1980s. Like the Robert Noyce bio by her noted earlier in this thread, it was well researched and fun to read. I was delighted when an event that I organized about the history of Atari was attended by her and included in a couple of the book's entries about Al Alcorn. Two of the seven who are profiled are women: Sandra Kurtzig <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Kurtzig>, the first woman to take a technology company public, and that company (ASK Group) was the first to truly productize software; and Fawn Alvarez <https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4796871/rolm-fawn-alvarez>, who rose from the ROLM factory line to its executive suite. BTW, a good resource for finding old books like these is abebooks.com - I just ordered a copy of the Vannevar Bush book discussed earlier in this thread. Also, here is what I posted to this list last year after seeing the Claude Shannon film for the first time: I saw a screening last night of *The Bit Player* at the Computer History Museum (CHM) in Mtn. View, CA USA. It was quite an impressive film. Interviews with Shannon, including an extensive one in the early 1980s at his home, formed the basis of much of the film by way of a key one being reproduced using actors. John Hutton played Shannon - he has extensive acting chops on stage (including as King Lear; some info here <https://cupresents.org/2016/02/24/john-hutton-returns-csf/>) and on film (various, including a small part in Spielberg's *Lincoln* as Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner). It was a brilliant way to tell Shannon's story as it portrayed his in-person eccentricities - and there is no significant actual footage of this aspect of Shannon. This was accompanied by interesting animations and discussion of his seminal paper and famous Master's thesis in order to convey the gravity of his importance, along with portions of the 1952 “Theseus” Maze-Solving Mouse film <http://cyberneticzoo.com/mazesolvers/1952-%E2%80%93-theseus-maze-solving-mouse-%E2%80%93-claude-shannon-american/>. The film was concluded with just-discovered brief footage of Shannon juggling on a unicycle - that was fantastic to see! More info, presented in an excellent and sophisticated fashion, is at www.TheBitPlayer.com <http://www.thebitplayer.com/> The panel who discussed the film after the screening (including Writer/Producer/Director Mark Levinson) noted that there would be a screening of the film in San Francisco in September. I do not know where else it will be shown in the future. The website shows the CHM screening as the film's third. It's the quality of film that I could easily and eagerly watch a second time even as soon as next month. Do study the website as it is brilliantly executed. This was the first documentary film funded by the IEEE Foundation, and it was done in conjunction with the IEEE Information Theory Society (ITS). BTW, the ITS is the only IEEE society whose "basis" has a definitive starting date - the 1948 publication of Shannon's *A Mathematical Theory of Communication <http://math.harvard.edu/~ctm/home/text/others/shannon/entropy/entropy.pdf>* . _________________________ Brian A. Berg / bberg@StanfordAlumni.org Berg Software Design - LinkedIn Profile <https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianaberg/> 14500 Big Basin Way, Suite F, Saratoga, CA 95070 USA Voice: 408.741.5010 / Cell: 408.568.2505 Consulting: Flash Memory/USB/Storage/Patents visit the Storage Cornucopia: www.bswd.com FMS Technical Chair: www.FlashMemorySummit.com IEEE Milestone <http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:List_of_IEEE_Milestones> Coordinator & History Chair for Region 6 <http://www.ieee-region6.org/> IEEE SCV Section <http://www.ieee.org/scv/> Past Chair / IEEE-CNSV <http://www.CaliforniaConsultants.org> Board Director IEEE Silicon Valley Tech History Committee <http://www.SiliconValleyHistory.com/> Chair On Thu, Sep 3, 2020 at 11:17 AM Jeffrey Yost <yostx003@umn.edu> wrote:

Hi Troy,

Bill Aspray's *John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing*, a deeply insightful and path breaking work of scholarship, in large part a biography, and much more. Andrew Hodges *Alan Turing: The Enigma*. Leslie Berlin's *The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley* is a great bio on this influential physicist, engineer, and entrepreneur in IT. (And sticking with the Fairchild, Intel and Silicon Valley theme...) Arnold Thackray, David Brock, and Rachel Jones' *Moore's Law: The Life of Gordon Moore, Silicon Valley's Quiet Revolutionary*. Agree what others have said on Waldrop's *The Dream Machine*, an excellent book by this top science journalist. And I very highly recommend Hunter's excellent biography on Herbert Simon.

Best, Jeff

The Man behind the Microchip : Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley *"Injustice wears the same harsh face wherever it shows itself."*-Ralph Ellison

Jeffrey R. Yost, Ph.D. Director, Charles Babbage Institute Research Professor, Program in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

222 21st Avenue South University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455

612 624 5050 Phone 612 625 8054 Fax

On Thu, Sep 3, 2020 at 6:31 AM Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk> wrote:

...

Dear SIG-CIS,

What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked.

I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first.

Best,

Troy Astarte

School of Computing Newcastle University

_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org

_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org

James Hansen’s book FIrst Man is the basis of the 2018 film of the same name with Ryan Gosling. Best, Marc

On Sep 4, 2020, at 06:19, Deborah Douglas <ddouglas@mit.edu> wrote:

Troy,

I don’t want to pester other list members with non-computer work:

James Hansen did a collaborative project with Allan McDonald, Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster” that you should take a look at. Hansen’s work is definitely worth looking at. Early in his career, along with his history of NASA Langely, he wrote a biography of Fred Weick, inventor of the tricycle landing gear (From the Ground Up), that more than anything else is the reason Neil Armstrong agreed to Hansen being his biographer. He has written shorter monographs on other engineers such as John Houbolt and his chapter on Richard Whitcomb in Engineer in Charge offer some really good examples of introducing technical subjects to a lay audience. Some of these books (eg: Engineer in Charge) are available for free online through the NASA History Office.

Best,

Debbie Douglas

...

On Sep 4, 2020, at 9:06 AM, Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk <mailto:Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk>> wrote:

Dear all,

Very many thanks to everyone who has sent suggestions, I’ve got a great reading list! I’ve already had a look at a few of them, and there’s some high quality work indeed. The only further question I would have is whether there are biographies with a higher technical content? Perhaps that just isn’t common in biographies?

Best,

Troy Astarte

School of Computing Newcastle University

...

On 3 Sep 2020, at 12:31, Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk <mailto:Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk>> wrote:

Dear SIG-CIS,

What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked.

I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first.

Best,

Troy Astarte

School of Computing Newcastle University

_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org <http://sigcis.org/>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ <http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/> and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org <http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org> Deborah G. Douglas, PhD • Director of Collections and Curator of Science and Technology, MIT Museum; Research Associate, Program in Science, Technology, and Society • Room N51-209 • 265 Massachusetts Avenue • Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 • ddouglas@mit.edu <mailto:ddouglas@mit.edu> • 617-253-1766 telephone • 617-253-8994 facsimile • http://mitmuseum.mit.edu <http://mitmuseum.mit.edu/> • she/her/hers

_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org

Marc Weber <http://www.computerhistory.org/staff/Marc,Weber/> | marc@webhistory.org | +1 415 282 6868 Internet History Program Curatorial Director, Computer History Museum 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 computerhistory.org/nethistory <http://computerhistory.org/nethistory> Co-founder, Web History Center and Project, webhistory.org

Sorry if this response is too much. There are a lot of biographies about computer pioneers, but less so "computer scientists." I've left off autobiographies & memoirs but can supply a list if you wish. The following biographies tend to skew older, which is fine with me. Warning: the quality does vary: Paul Ceruzzi ______________________________ Aspray William John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing Austrian Geoffrey Herman Hollerith: Forgotten Giant of Information Processing Belden, Thomas and Marva Lengthening Shadow, the: the life of Thomas J, Watson Berlin Leslie Man behind the microchip, the: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley Buxton H.W. Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage ESQ. F.R.S. Cohen I. Bernard Howard Aiken: Portrait of a Computer Pioneer Berg Christian Heinz Nixdorf: Eine Biographie [in German] Hodges Andrew Alan Turing: The enigma: the extraordinary story of the brilliant scientist… Hyman Anthony Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer Macrae Norman John von Neumann: The Scientific Genius Who Pioneered the Modern Computer, Game Theory, Nuclear Deterrence, and Much More Manes Stephen Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry - and Made Himself the Richest Man in America Mollenhoff Clark R. Atanasoff: Forgotten Father of the Computer Reid Constance Hilbert Rodgers William Think: A Biography of the Watsons and IBM Smiley Jane The Man Who Invented the Computer: The Biography of John Atanasoff, Digital Pioneer Toole Betty Alexandra Ada: The Enchantress of Numbers - Prophet of the Computer Age Van Dormael Armand Heinz Nixdorf: A German Computer Pioneer Wallace James Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire Zachary G. Pascal Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century ________________________________ From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk> Sent: Friday, September 4, 2020 9:06 AM To: members <members@sigcis.org> Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Request for biographies External Email - Exercise Caution Dear all, Very many thanks to everyone who has sent suggestions, I’ve got a great reading list! I’ve already had a look at a few of them, and there’s some high quality work indeed. The only further question I would have is whether there are biographies with a higher technical content? Perhaps that just isn’t common in biographies? Best, Troy Astarte School of Computing Newcastle University On 3 Sep 2020, at 12:31, Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk<mailto:Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk>> wrote: Dear SIG-CIS, What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked. I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first. Best, Troy Astarte School of Computing Newcastle University

And, of course, Ronald Kline, Steinmetz: Engineer and Socialist. Steinmetz was head of a GE 'calculating department' out of which came many calculating methods and materialities of considerable importance. And was one of the key fiigures behind the introduction of imaginary numbers to electrical engineering, for calculating purposes (one of his several contributions to calculation and computation). In addition to implying how important computing was from early on (an integral part of capitalist technology from the beginning), Kline's biography can be used as an excellent introduction to the important yet understudied history of  many engineers who thought that socialism would evolve rather naturally from capitalism. This evolutionist view of socialism, highly compatible with a certain version of technological determinism, was endorsed by many important engineers around the world throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Including engineers with significant contributions to computing technology. And since the list has no women (unless I missed an email): Brittain, James E. "From Computer to Electrical Engineer — the Remarkable Career of Edith Clarke," IEEE Transactions on Education, Vol. E28, No. 4 (November 1985), 184-189. Not a book, but an article on an electrical engineer of the caliber of Vannevar Bush (or so though Harvard-MIT professor Arthur Kennelly, Vannevar Bush's advisor and her advisor too) who, being a woman engineer in the first  half of teh twentieth century, could only go so far. We have several stories on women computers/computors working in business and scientific contexts, and several stories of women and computing in the post-1940s. Clarke's less known story is exemplar of what computing meant for a woman in the first half of the twetieth century. Her case certainly deserves a book-length biography. By the way, Jim Brittain, who had considered writing a biography of Steinmetz after writing articles on him, decided to focus on Alexanderson (J. Brittain, Alexanderson: Pioneer in American Electrical Engineering). An exemplar biography by a  pioneer and master historian of technology who helped several of us in many ways. Telly   Sorry if this response is too much. There are a lot of biographies about computer pioneers, but less so "computer scientists." I've left off autobiographies & memoirs but can supply a list if you wish. The following biographies tend to skew older, which is fine with me. Warning: the quality does vary:   Paul Ceruzzi ______________________________ Aspray William John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing Austrian Geoffrey Herman Hollerith: Forgotten Giant of Information Processing Belden, Thomas and Marva Lengthening Shadow, the: the life of Thomas J, Watson Berlin Leslie Man behind the microchip, the: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley Buxton H.W. Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage ESQ. F.R.S. Cohen I. Bernard Howard Aiken: Portrait of a Computer Pioneer Berg Christian Heinz Nixdorf: Eine Biographie [in German] Hodges Andrew Alan Turing: The enigma: the extraordinary story of the brilliant scientist… Hyman Anthony Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer Macrae Norman John von Neumann: The Scientific Genius Who Pioneered the Modern Computer, Game Theory, Nuclear Deterrence, and Much More Manes Stephen Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry - and Made Himself the Richest Man in America Mollenhoff Clark R. Atanasoff: Forgotten Father of the Computer Reid Constance Hilbert Rodgers William Think: A Biography of the Watsons and IBM Smiley Jane The Man Who Invented the Computer: The Biography of John Atanasoff, Digital Pioneer Toole Betty Alexandra Ada: The Enchantress of Numbers - Prophet of the Computer Age Van Dormael Armand Heinz Nixdorf: A German Computer Pioneer Wallace James Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire Zachary G. Pascal Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century     From: Members on behalf of Troy Astarte Sent: Friday, September 4, 2020 9:06 AM To: members Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Request for biographies   External Email - Exercise Caution Dear all,   Very many thanks to everyone who has sent suggestions, I’ve got a great reading list! I’ve already had a look at a few of them, and there’s some high quality work indeed. The only further question I would have is whether there are biographies with a higher technical content? Perhaps that just isn’t common in biographies? Best,   Troy Astarte   School of Computing Newcastle University On 3 Sep 2020, at 12:31, Troy Astarte Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk> wrote: Dear SIG-CIS,   What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked.   I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first. Best,   Troy Astarte   School of Computing Newcastle University -- Aristotle Tympas Professor Department of History and Philosophy of Science Graduate Program ‘Science, Technology, Society—Science and Technology Studies’ Graduate Program ‘History and Philosophy of Science and Technology’ National and Kapodistrian University of Athens http://scholar.uoa.gr/tympas/home