As its title implies, this book presents 15 major figures (e.g. Dijkstra, Knuth, McCarthy) in computer science history and some of their most important discoveries. It was a very interesting, humbling, and motivating read. It's amazing to think of what these men discovered without the high level languages and modern hardware that is available today. Had I grown up in their generation, I doubt I would have pursued a career in software. Although I enjoyed my assembly language class in college, one semester was enough. Although I am obviously not on the same intellectual plane as the subjects of the book, reading about their accomplishments was inspiration enough to continue becoming a better developer and expanding my knowledge about computer science.
Two other things that jumped out at me when reading this book:
- It was interesting to see that many of these men started their careers (or academic careers) in something other than computer science. From biology, to music, to chemistry, most of them were proficient in some other field before ending up in their final career path. What they all had in common though, was a passion for creating things, which easily transferred into the computer science field.
- Reading this book made me wonder why college computer science programs (at least mine) do not have a History of Computer Science class where these men and their discoveries are the focus of the course. I think many students would gain an appreciation for the history behind the major discoveries in the field, along with the same motivation I received from reading the book. It would also make students appreciate the work and dedication required to become an expert in the field.
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