Books 2021: The Innovators
The Innovators by Walter Isaacson
The Innovators traces the history of computers right from Charles Babbage and his contrivances in 1800s till the invention of modern computing that we get to experience today. While we get to be a part of a journey walking us on a path to the digital revolution, certain aspects do stick out vehemently.
The War: WWII played a large role to push the development of computers that were employed to calculate trajectories for the artillery. No one would have thought of funding these huge machines back then, unless it was deemed necessary to win a war. The fallout of the development pushed the concept of programming and the imagination where computers can rival the analytical ability of humans.
The Triumvirate: We get to see a successful collaboration between the government, private players and the academia to further the research for commercial purposes — the birth of the transistor for example.
The PC: The push from the innovators to get an individual to benefit from the digital revolution led to the birth of the PC. The large behemoth computers came in as affordable machines that sit on our desks nowadays.
Other innovations: We see other developments like new management styles that involve flat organizations and a shift from the bureaucratic culture. This revolution has truly projected the power of individual thinking and collaborative creativity.
(PS: this is a personal interpretation of the facts presented by the author)