Although it is popularly assumed that the history of computing before the second half of the
20th century was unimportant in fact the Industrial Revolution was made possible and even
sustained by a parallel revolution in computing technology. An examination and
historiographical assessment of key developments helps to show how the era of modern electronic
computing proceeded from a continual computing revolution that had arisen during the mechanical
and the electrical ages.This unique volume introduces the history of computing during the first
(steam) and second (electricity) segments of the Industrial Revolution revealing how this
history was pivotal to the emergence of electronic computing and what many historians see as
signifying a shift to a post-industrial society. It delves into critical developments before
the electronic era focusing on those of the mechanical era (from the emergence of the steam
engine to that of the electric power network) and the electrical era (from the emergence of the
electric power network to that of electronic computing). In so doing it provides due attention
to the demarcations between-and associated classifications of-artifacts for calculation during
these respective eras. In turn it emphasizes the history of comparisons between these
artifacts. Topics and Features: motivates exposition through a firm historiographical argument
of important developments explores the history of the slide rule and its use in the context of
electrificationexamines the roles of analyzers graphs and a whole range of computing
artifacts hitherto placed under the allegedly inferior class of analog computers shows how the
analog and the digital are really inseparable with perceptions thereof depending on either a
full or a restricted view of the computing process investigates socially situated comparisons
of computing history including the effects of a political economy of computing (one that takes
into account cost and ownership of computing artifacts) assesses concealment of analog-machine
labor through encasement (black-boxing) Historians of computing as well as those of technology
and science (especially energy) will find this well-argued and presented history of
calculation and computation in the mechanical and electrical eras an indispensable resource.
The work is a natural textbook companion for history of computing courses and will also appeal
to the broader readership of curious computer scientists and engineers as well as those who
generally just have a yearn to learn the contextual background to the current digital age. In
this fascinating original work Tympas indispensably intertwines the histories of analog and
digital computing showing them to be inseparable from the evolution of social and economic
conditions. Prof. David Mindell MIT
