Not quite so linked lists (of books)
Hi Everyone, I'm embarking on a, hopefully fun, project to create lists of books for various vintage computer related projects. The first one is as broad as them come: What five books would you recommend to someone completely new to the hobby? Parameters: Let us assume the people are adults (children's books will be a separate discussion). Books can be currently published or vintage.. physical or digital... Let us also assume the readers have a basic understanding of how to use a standard (say Windows 10 or macOS) computer. If possible, please include why you think the book should be on the list. I'll be buying (the ones I do not own) the most (quantity and quality) recommended books, reading them, compiling my recommendation for the final list, posting it here for people to tear apart, and then ultimately posting it publicly in an appropriate space. Please post to the list so that other people can see your recommendations (and maybe even find a book they want to buy!). Oh, and feel free to recommend even just one book. The more information the merrier! Thanks! -Adam
Hackers by Steven Levy: It has a good history of hacking in the 60's and 70's Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age by Michael Hiltzik: The history of Xerox Parc which was seminal in many modern computer technologies On The Edge by Brian Bagnell: History of Commodore Computers because I think they had a lot of the best selling computers and MOS with the 6502, etc. Racing the Beam by Ian Bogost and Nick Montfort: About Atari a great game making company. Also shows how hard it was to program games back then. ENIAC: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the World's First Computer by Scott McCartney. The beginning of programmable, digital, general purpose computers that sparked further development. <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> On Sun, Sep 13, 2020 at 6:35 PM Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I'm embarking on a, hopefully fun, project to create lists of books for various vintage computer related projects.
The first one is as broad as them come:
What five books would you recommend to someone completely new to the hobby?
Parameters:
Let us assume the people are adults (children's books will be a separate discussion). Books can be currently published or vintage.. physical or digital... Let us also assume the readers have a basic understanding of how to use a standard (say Windows 10 or macOS) computer.
If possible, please include why you think the book should be on the list. I'll be buying (the ones I do not own) the most (quantity and quality) recommended books, reading them, compiling my recommendation for the final list, posting it here for people to tear apart, and then ultimately posting it publicly in an appropriate space. Please post to the list so that other people can see your recommendations (and maybe even find a book they want to buy!).
Oh, and feel free to recommend even just one book. The more information the merrier!
Thanks!
-Adam
-- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey@vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783
Ooooh.. great start. On 9/13/2020 6:44 PM, Jeffrey Brace wrote:
Hackers by Steven Levy: It has a good history of hacking in the 60's and 70's Yep, I love this one. I'd dare say this will be a finalist. Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age by Michael Hiltzik: The history of Xerox Parc which was seminal in many modern computer technologies Just ordered this one. On The Edge by Brian Bagnell: History of Commodore Computers because I think they had a lot of the best selling computers and MOS with the 6502, etc.
Don't know this one, will order it.
Racing the Beam by Ian Bogost and Nick Montfort: About Atari a great game making company. Also shows how hard it was to program games back then. Love this book, but I have two issues with it for rank beginners:
1. It gets *very* technical. A 6502 geek like me loves it... not so intro friendly. 2. It reads a bit more like someone's dissertation than a fully edited book. Really, though, 1 is more the issue.
ENIAC: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the World's First Computer by Scott McCartney. The beginning of programmable, digital, general purpose computers that sparked further development.
Will also order this one. Thanks! -Adam
I love Jeff’s selections. I would add “Soul of a New Machine”, a great recounting of the development of the DG Eclipse. On Sun, Sep 13, 2020 at 6:44 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Hackers by Steven Levy: It has a good history of hacking in the 60's and
70's
Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age by
Michael Hiltzik: The history of Xerox Parc which was seminal in many modern
computer technologies
On The Edge by Brian Bagnell: History of Commodore Computers because I
think they had a lot of the best selling computers and MOS with the 6502,
etc.
Racing the Beam by Ian Bogost and Nick Montfort: About Atari a great game
making company. Also shows how hard it was to program games back then.
ENIAC: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the World's First Computer by Scott
McCartney. The beginning of programmable, digital, general purpose
computers that sparked further development.
< https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaig...
Virus-free.
www.avast.com
< https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaig...
<#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
On Sun, Sep 13, 2020 at 6:35 PM Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic <
vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I'm embarking on a, hopefully fun, project to create lists of books for
various vintage computer related projects.
The first one is as broad as them come:
What five books would you recommend to someone completely new to the hobby?
Parameters:
Let us assume the people are adults (children's books will be a separate
discussion). Books can be currently published or vintage.. physical or
digital... Let us also assume the readers have a basic understanding of
how to use a standard (say Windows 10 or macOS) computer.
If possible, please include why you think the book should be on the
list. I'll be buying (the ones I do not own) the most (quantity and
quality) recommended books, reading them, compiling my recommendation
for the final list, posting it here for people to tear apart, and then
ultimately posting it publicly in an appropriate space. Please post to
the list so that other people can see your recommendations (and maybe
even find a book they want to buy!).
Oh, and feel free to recommend even just one book. The more information
the merrier!
Thanks!
-Adam
--
=========================================
Jeff Brace
Vice President & Board Member
Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner
Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity
jeffrey@vcfed.org
cell: 732-759-1783
A few more from my collection: "Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer," Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, Berkeley, CA, 1984 ISBN 0-88134-121-5 And a bit more obscure: "Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer: Fron Altair to IBM, A History of the PC Revolution," Stan Veit, Worldcom, Asheville, NC, 1993 ISBN 1-56664-023-7 Walt Isaacson's books are relevant too "Steve Jobs" and "The Innovators". I found them difficult to get through though. Long. Not sure I ever actually finished reading either one. - glenn
-----Original Message----- From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces@lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Sunday, September 13, 2020 6:35 PM To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> Cc: Adam Michlin <amichlin@swerlin.com> Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Not quite so linked lists (of books)
Hi Everyone,
I'm embarking on a, hopefully fun, project to create lists of books for various vintage computer related projects.
The first one is as broad as them come:
What five books would you recommend to someone completely new to the hobby?
Parameters:
Let us assume the people are adults (children's books will be a separate discussion). Books can be currently published or vintage.. physical or digital... Let us also assume the readers have a basic understanding of how to use a standard (say Windows 10 or macOS) computer.
If possible, please include why you think the book should be on the list. I'll be buying (the ones I do not own) the most (quantity and quality) recommended books, reading them, compiling my recommendation for the final list, posting it here for people to tear apart, and then ultimately posting it publicly in an appropriate space. Please post to the list so that other people can see your recommendations (and maybe even find a book they want to buy!).
Oh, and feel free to recommend even just one book. The more information the merrier!
Thanks!
-Adam
Great suggestions! I'm leaning a bit more towards Woz's book "iWoz" on the Apple front. I've read "Steve Jobs" and have to put "The Innovators" on my to read list, but definitely found the former to be a long read. Which reminds me of my favorite read, which isn't even a book: https://www.folklore.org/ Commentary on the early days of the Mac by the people who made the Mac. On 9/13/2020 8:31 PM, Glenn Roberts wrote:
A few more from my collection:
"Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer," Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, Berkeley, CA, 1984 ISBN 0-88134-121-5
And a bit more obscure:
"Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer: Fron Altair to IBM, A History of the PC Revolution," Stan Veit, Worldcom, Asheville, NC, 1993 ISBN 1-56664-023-7
Walt Isaacson's books are relevant too "Steve Jobs" and "The Innovators". I found them difficult to get through though. Long. Not sure I ever actually finished reading either one.
- glenn
I was not a fan of iWoz. To me it came off as a bit self-congratulatory and took away from the stories. On Sun, Sep 13, 2020 at 9:52 PM Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Great suggestions!
I'm leaning a bit more towards Woz's book "iWoz" on the Apple front.
I've read "Steve Jobs" and have to put "The Innovators" on my to read
list, but definitely found the former to be a long read.
Which reminds me of my favorite read, which isn't even a book:
Commentary on the early days of the Mac by the people who made the Mac.
On 9/13/2020 8:31 PM, Glenn Roberts wrote:
A few more from my collection:
"Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer," Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, Berkeley, CA, 1984 ISBN 0-88134-121-5
And a bit more obscure:
"Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer: Fron Altair to IBM, A History of the PC Revolution," Stan Veit, Worldcom, Asheville, NC, 1993 ISBN 1-56664-023-7
Walt Isaacson's books are relevant too "Steve Jobs" and "The Innovators". I found them difficult to get through though. Long. Not sure I ever actually finished reading either one.
- glenn
That's fair. But, with the (perhaps incorrect) assumption that at least one book should be Apple history related, what do we do if not iWoz or Walter Isaacson's "Steve Jobs"? On 9/13/2020 9:54 PM, Dean Notarnicola wrote:
I was not a fan of iWoz. To me it came off as a bit self-congratulatory and took away from the stories.
On Sun, Sep 13, 2020 at 9:52 PM Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org <mailto:vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org>> wrote:
Great suggestions!
I'm leaning a bit more towards Woz's book "iWoz" on the Apple front.
I've read "Steve Jobs" and have to put "The Innovators" on my to read
list, but definitely found the former to be a long read.
Which reminds me of my favorite read, which isn't even a book:
Commentary on the early days of the Mac by the people who made the Mac.
participants (5)
-
Adam Michlin -
Dean Notarnicola -
Dean Notarnicola -
Glenn Roberts -
Jeffrey Brace