About the book
A Wall Street Journal Best Business Book of 2012
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012
In this revealing account of how the digital universe exploded in the aftermath of World War II, George Dyson illuminates the nature of digital computers, the lives of those who brought them into existence, and how code took over the world.
In the 1940s and ‘50s, a small group of men and women—led by John von Neumann—gathered in Princeton, New Jersey, to begin building one of the first computers to realize Alan Turing’s vision of a Universal Machine. The codes unleashed within this embryonic, 5-kilobyte universe—less memory than is allocated to displaying a single icon on a computer screen today—broke the distinction between numbers that mean things and numbers that do things, and our universe would never be the same. Turing’s Cathedral is the story of how the most constructive and most destructive of twentieth-century inventions—the digital computer and the hydrogen bomb—emerged at the same time.
Editions of Turing's Cathedral
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781400075997
- AltFormat
- ISBN 9780375422775
- EBook
- ISBN 9780307907066
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780307969071
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780307969095
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9780307969088
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9780307969064
Read an Excerpt
A Wall Street Journal Best Business Book of 2012
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012
In this revealing account of how the digital universe exploded in the aftermath of World War II, George Dyson illuminates the nature of digital computers, the lives of those who brought them into existence, and how code took over the world.
In the 1940s and ‘50s, a small group of men and women—led by John von Neumann—gathered in Princeton, New Jersey, to begin building one of the first computers to realize Alan Turing’s vision of a Universal Machine. The codes unleashed within this embryonic, 5-kilobyte universe—less memory than is allocated to displaying a single icon on a computer screen today—broke the distinction between numbers that mean things and numbers that do things, and our universe would never be the same. Turing’s Cathedral is the story of how the most constructive and most destructive of twentieth-century inventions—the digital computer and the hydrogen bomb—emerged at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Turing's Cathedral about?
A Wall Street Journal Best Business Book of 2012
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012
In this revealing account of how the digital universe exploded in the aftermath of World War II, George Dyson illuminates the nature of digital computers, the lives of those who brought them into existence, and how code took over the world.
In the 1940s and ‘50s, a small group of men and women—led by John von Neumann—gathered in Princeton, New Jersey, to begin building one of the first computers to realize Alan Turing’s vision of a Universal Machine. The codes unleashed within this embryonic, 5-kilobyte universe—less memory than is allocated to displaying a single icon on a computer screen today—broke the distinction between numbers that mean things and numbers that do things, and our universe would never be the same. Turing’s Cathedral is the story of how the most constructive and most destructive of twentieth-century inventions—the digital computer and the hydrogen bomb—emerged at the same time.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Turing's Cathedral?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > Biography: general > Biography: science, technology and medicine
Where can I read a sample of Turing's Cathedral?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781400075997
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Turing's Cathedral?
George Dyson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Turing's Cathedral is available as paperback(ISBN 9781400075997) and altformat(ISBN 9780375422775) and ebook(ISBN 9780307907066) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780307969071) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780307969095) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780307969088) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780307969064)
Where can I buy Turing's Cathedral online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Turing's Cathedral from below
Where can I buy Turing's Cathedral?