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The History of the Computer
A strikingly illustrated overview of the computing machines that have changed our world—from the abacus to the smartphone—and the people who made them, by the New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of Women in Science
Computers are everywhere and have impacted our lives in so many ways, but who created them, and why? How have they transformed the way that we interact with our surroundings and each other?
Packed with accessible information, fun facts, and discussion starters, this charming and art-filled book takes you from the ancient world to the modern day, focusing on important inventions, from the earliest known counting systems to the sophisticated algorithms behind AI. The History of the Computer also profiles a diverse range of key players and creators—from An Wang and Margaret Hamilton to Steve Jobs and Sir Tim Berners-Lee—and illuminates their goals, their intentions, and the impact of their inventions on our everyday lives.
This entertaining and educational journey will help you understand our most important machines and how we can use them to enhance the way we live. You’ll never look at your phone the same way again!
Computers are everywhere and have impacted our lives in so many ways, but who created them, and why? How have they transformed the way that we interact with our surroundings and each other?
Packed with accessible information, fun facts, and discussion starters, this charming and art-filled book takes you from the ancient world to the modern day, focusing on important inventions, from the earliest known counting systems to the sophisticated algorithms behind AI. The History of the Computer also profiles a diverse range of key players and creators—from An Wang and Margaret Hamilton to Steve Jobs and Sir Tim Berners-Lee—and illuminates their goals, their intentions, and the impact of their inventions on our everyday lives.
This entertaining and educational journey will help you understand our most important machines and how we can use them to enhance the way we live. You’ll never look at your phone the same way again!
127 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2022
37 people are currently reading
3800 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Ignotofsky
24 books246 followersRachel Ignotofsky grew up in New Jersey on a healthy diet of cartoons and pudding. She graduated with honors from Tyler School of Art’s graphic design program in 2011. Now she lives in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri, where she spends all day drawing and learning as much as she can. She has a passion for taking dense information and making it fun and accessible and is dedicated to creating educational works of art.
Rachel is inspired by history and science and believes that illustration is a powerful tool that can make learning exciting. She uses her work to spread her message about education, scientific literacy, and powerful women. She hopes this book inspires girls and women to follow their passions and dreams.
Rachel is inspired by history and science and believes that illustration is a powerful tool that can make learning exciting. She uses her work to spread her message about education, scientific literacy, and powerful women. She hopes this book inspires girls and women to follow their passions and dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 20, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as an adult and wished it was available to me when I was younger. I believe this book - with its appealing and colourful illustrations (I liked the art style a lot), chronological arrangement, and short biographies of important people in the computer/internet field - would be an extremely engaging and valuable resource for today's teens.
January 2, 2023
Great book, I really loved it. My only criticism is that I would have preferred to see actual pictures of people and computers rather than drawings of them. Other than that this book is worth the read and has a fair, unbiased representation of computer history.👍
May 8, 2022
4.5 stars. A fun, illustrated overview of computing.
Rachel Ignotofsky explores the history of computers from ancient counting and mathematical tools through modern artificial intelligence (AI). Each section is delightfully illustrated and designed to convey the key concepts in easy-to-grasp format.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think it does a great job of capturing the history of computers. The illustrations are fun and make everything more interesting to read about. Given the nature of this book and its length, you can't really go into much detail on any one part of computation, but you get a snapshot of the scope of topics you might want to explore in more detail.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Rachel Ignotofsky explores the history of computers from ancient counting and mathematical tools through modern artificial intelligence (AI). Each section is delightfully illustrated and designed to convey the key concepts in easy-to-grasp format.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think it does a great job of capturing the history of computers. The illustrations are fun and make everything more interesting to read about. Given the nature of this book and its length, you can't really go into much detail on any one part of computation, but you get a snapshot of the scope of topics you might want to explore in more detail.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
October 29, 2022
If all history books were like this, I would read them all day, everyday! This is a fun and unique way to present history. This book is designed to be read visually, but contains so many facts. I feel like I learned so much in this novel that I never knew about computers: how they are made, what they are made of, the timeline and technological advancements over the years.
If you're interested in computers, this is the book for you!
If you're interested in computers, this is the book for you!
September 25, 2022
As detailed, well-researched, and beautifully illustrated as the rest of Ignotofsky’s books.
August 4, 2022
Thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
This is really a fantastic little book. While it's aimed at older children and teens, it's quite informative, even for adults. I certainly learned a lot while reading through the history. The illustrations are nice and compliment the text well. I think this is a perfect book for a technology curious kid or teen.
This is really a fantastic little book. While it's aimed at older children and teens, it's quite informative, even for adults. I certainly learned a lot while reading through the history. The illustrations are nice and compliment the text well. I think this is a perfect book for a technology curious kid or teen.
November 12, 2022
Copy provided by the Publisher
This highly illustrated history of not only the computer but of the technology that lead up to it is very complete and absolutely packed with information. From computer basics like what binary is to a discussion of the "internet of things" (that makes some of us very nervous!), this book carefully lays out just about every facet of computers that I could imagine.
The illustrations have a cartoon style to it that is very appealing, and many of the pages are dark, with white text in very small print. There's even a bit of homage to the time periods discussed in the styles, and there's a good feel for the fashion and the way computers looked at previous points in history. There's a lot of detail in the pictures.
There were some very insightful mentions, such as how computers manage to integrate a variety of technologies into their framework; I'm constantly amazed at the use of video calls and the fact that my phone can take pictures and send them. Computers in the 1970s and 80s didn't have this, and my first experience of the internet was a nongraphic interface. That's right, kids. The internet, but with text only! There are also fun bits of trivia, like the fact that the first computer "bug" was actually a real bug, and the first computer worm was "The Creeper" in 1971.
Between the main text and the page borders that detail events that occured within the times being discussed, I can't think that there are any major (or minor!) computer innovators or events that were not covered. Even though there is so much information, the individual anecdotes are told in a very conversational way; I never get tired of hearing the story of Allen and Gates almost forgetting the "boot" program to load BASIC, but I'd never heard of the Homebrew Computer club. Seeing the real individuals behind computer processes that we use today, and realizing that they developed these innovations fairly recently, is always fascinating.
The information presented is balanced across the decades, and I can see an updated version of this book being created in twenty years; there's a two page spread on "the future" that will certainly be able to be elaborated upon in that amount of time! I was also very glad to see that there is an index in the book; since the pages have so much information on them, if I wanted to go back and look for information about Tim Berners-Lee I would be hard pressed to find it by flipping through the pages.
Since today's middle school students were born around the time my own daughter took her first smart phone to college, they will be amazed at the deep history of computers and the technology that lead to them. I haven't invested in many books detailing this history (I do have Sherman's 2003 The History of the Personal Computer, but have to warn students that a lot happened after 2003!), so I'm glad to see this comprehensive and entertaining look at technologies that are so ubiquitous today.
This highly illustrated history of not only the computer but of the technology that lead up to it is very complete and absolutely packed with information. From computer basics like what binary is to a discussion of the "internet of things" (that makes some of us very nervous!), this book carefully lays out just about every facet of computers that I could imagine.
The illustrations have a cartoon style to it that is very appealing, and many of the pages are dark, with white text in very small print. There's even a bit of homage to the time periods discussed in the styles, and there's a good feel for the fashion and the way computers looked at previous points in history. There's a lot of detail in the pictures.
There were some very insightful mentions, such as how computers manage to integrate a variety of technologies into their framework; I'm constantly amazed at the use of video calls and the fact that my phone can take pictures and send them. Computers in the 1970s and 80s didn't have this, and my first experience of the internet was a nongraphic interface. That's right, kids. The internet, but with text only! There are also fun bits of trivia, like the fact that the first computer "bug" was actually a real bug, and the first computer worm was "The Creeper" in 1971.
Between the main text and the page borders that detail events that occured within the times being discussed, I can't think that there are any major (or minor!) computer innovators or events that were not covered. Even though there is so much information, the individual anecdotes are told in a very conversational way; I never get tired of hearing the story of Allen and Gates almost forgetting the "boot" program to load BASIC, but I'd never heard of the Homebrew Computer club. Seeing the real individuals behind computer processes that we use today, and realizing that they developed these innovations fairly recently, is always fascinating.
The information presented is balanced across the decades, and I can see an updated version of this book being created in twenty years; there's a two page spread on "the future" that will certainly be able to be elaborated upon in that amount of time! I was also very glad to see that there is an index in the book; since the pages have so much information on them, if I wanted to go back and look for information about Tim Berners-Lee I would be hard pressed to find it by flipping through the pages.
Since today's middle school students were born around the time my own daughter took her first smart phone to college, they will be amazed at the deep history of computers and the technology that lead to them. I haven't invested in many books detailing this history (I do have Sherman's 2003 The History of the Personal Computer, but have to warn students that a lot happened after 2003!), so I'm glad to see this comprehensive and entertaining look at technologies that are so ubiquitous today.
March 1, 2022
5 shining, gorgeously-illustrated, informative, makes-learning-fun, techy stars~
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me digital access to this book! ^^
This is stunning - I mean truly. Rachel Ignotofsky is a mega-talented illustrator that has brought us all kinds of beautiful creations, from coloring books to postcards, journals, illustrated compendiums, and more. Her work is recognizable right away, and I love her style. [I am a big fan of her "Women In Science" postcards, which I have postcrossed across the states.] This book, which goes into the history of the computer as we know it today, is chock-full of incredible illustrations, from the first abacus all the way to the computers we carry in our pockets.
The layout of the book: I couldn't say enough positive things, really. Even the MARGINS are beautiful and offer information as well as being pleasing to the eye. Every inch of space was well thought-out. I really liked how it began very modern, regarding timeline, and then took it wayyyy back to prehistoric/BC/ancient times.
I think this would be a great gift or coffee table book for the techy or geek in your life [like yours truly~]! [I may be biased because I work in IT, but I digress.... :)] or perhaps even to a young lad or lass with an interest in STEM.
Overall, a beautiful work of informative art that I would share with everyone, from the youngsters in my life all the way up to my grandparents.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me digital access to this book! ^^
This is stunning - I mean truly. Rachel Ignotofsky is a mega-talented illustrator that has brought us all kinds of beautiful creations, from coloring books to postcards, journals, illustrated compendiums, and more. Her work is recognizable right away, and I love her style. [I am a big fan of her "Women In Science" postcards, which I have postcrossed across the states.] This book, which goes into the history of the computer as we know it today, is chock-full of incredible illustrations, from the first abacus all the way to the computers we carry in our pockets.
The layout of the book: I couldn't say enough positive things, really. Even the MARGINS are beautiful and offer information as well as being pleasing to the eye. Every inch of space was well thought-out. I really liked how it began very modern, regarding timeline, and then took it wayyyy back to prehistoric/BC/ancient times.
I think this would be a great gift or coffee table book for the techy or geek in your life [like yours truly~]! [I may be biased because I work in IT, but I digress.... :)] or perhaps even to a young lad or lass with an interest in STEM.
Overall, a beautiful work of informative art that I would share with everyone, from the youngsters in my life all the way up to my grandparents.
March 20, 2025
Ah, computers. Those magical boxes that let us work, shop, stalk our exes on social media, and spend hours Googling “Do penguins have knees?” instead of doing actual work. But have you ever stopped to wonder where these wondrous machines came from? Well, buckle up, because The History of the Computer is here to take you on a beautifully illustrated, shockingly entertaining ride from the humble abacus to the pocket-sized miracle that lets you ignore your family in favor of cat memes.
This book is packed with fun facts, which means you’ll finally have something interesting to say at parties (besides “Have you seen that new TikTok trend?”). It introduces the brilliant minds who built the tech we can’t live without—like the legends behind the internet, AI, and that one mysterious update that makes your phone slower right when a new model drops. Coincidence? I think not.
The artwork? Stunning. The writing? Delightfully nerdy. The impact? Life-changing (or at least perspective-shifting). One minute, you’re marveling at how far we’ve come from punch cards, and the next, you’re spiraling into an existential crisis about how much we depend on computers. But hey, at least now you’ll be informed while staring blankly at your screen for hours.
✨ Final Verdict: This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever used a computer (so...everyone?). It’s fun, fascinating, and might even make you appreciate technology instead of just yelling at it when your Wi-Fi lags. Five stars, because without computers, I wouldn’t be here writing this review—and you wouldn’t be here reading it.
This book is packed with fun facts, which means you’ll finally have something interesting to say at parties (besides “Have you seen that new TikTok trend?”). It introduces the brilliant minds who built the tech we can’t live without—like the legends behind the internet, AI, and that one mysterious update that makes your phone slower right when a new model drops. Coincidence? I think not.
The artwork? Stunning. The writing? Delightfully nerdy. The impact? Life-changing (or at least perspective-shifting). One minute, you’re marveling at how far we’ve come from punch cards, and the next, you’re spiraling into an existential crisis about how much we depend on computers. But hey, at least now you’ll be informed while staring blankly at your screen for hours.
✨ Final Verdict: This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever used a computer (so...everyone?). It’s fun, fascinating, and might even make you appreciate technology instead of just yelling at it when your Wi-Fi lags. Five stars, because without computers, I wouldn’t be here writing this review—and you wouldn’t be here reading it.
June 28, 2022
Miigweetch to Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the DRC.
I was interested in reading this book because I am familiar with Rachel Ignotofsky’s books work from the WOMEN IN SCIENCE series, and like how she presents information in bite-size factoids. I find this approach to be very palatable among my middle school readers who otherwise bulk at nonfiction for being “too boring.” This, like Ignotofsky’s other titles, moves quickly and offers a basic, chronological introduction to computer history. As expected, Ada Lovelace makes an appearance.
The art is bold, colorful, and takes up the majority of space within the pages. The book offers a good snapshot of the history of computers, touching on topics like artificial intelligence (AI), mathematical tools, and important historical figures. Highly recommended for middle school and high school libraries, maker-spaces, or homeschoolers.
I was interested in reading this book because I am familiar with Rachel Ignotofsky’s books work from the WOMEN IN SCIENCE series, and like how she presents information in bite-size factoids. I find this approach to be very palatable among my middle school readers who otherwise bulk at nonfiction for being “too boring.” This, like Ignotofsky’s other titles, moves quickly and offers a basic, chronological introduction to computer history. As expected, Ada Lovelace makes an appearance.
The art is bold, colorful, and takes up the majority of space within the pages. The book offers a good snapshot of the history of computers, touching on topics like artificial intelligence (AI), mathematical tools, and important historical figures. Highly recommended for middle school and high school libraries, maker-spaces, or homeschoolers.
August 20, 2022
Rachel Ignotofsky’s “The History of the Computer” is as beautiful as it is informative. Taking readers right back to the technologies of Ancient Civilizations, Ignotofsky shows the power of ingenuity and design to shape the ways in which human beings live. Intuitively organized, with information broken down into manageable sections, complemented by annotated and illustrated timelines, feature biographies, and conclusions about the impacts of technology in each age, this book is a dream read for a middle-grade to upper-level student. Engaging mini stories of the people who brought various technologies into being, along with facts and important dates bring this complex topic to life. Ignotofsky’s style of transmitting history ensures that everyone is represented, but in a natural and subtle way; important women and other minority figures grace the pages as if they’ve always been there. She presents the accomplishments, not only of Americans, but of other countries as well.
August 2, 2022
The History of the computer is a fascinating look at all things related to the computer starting even before the invention of what we know as a computer in present age. The book delves into the origins of math and how low tech in the past was a precursor to the computer age. I loved the timelines and info graphics spread throughout the book. For example when the author is describing the inner mechanism of a computer and their functions there is a lovely graphic of where those pieces are situated inside the computer and what they look like. Timelines as well were helpful especially when they contained pictures of objects used in the past that may not be familiar to us readers. This book can be used in so many ways in the classroom especially when researching technology now and in the past.
March 8, 2022
A book about the history of computers!
Packed with facts and wonderful illustrations, you get a book dedicated to computers. Who invented what, where did it start, and how has different computers evolved through the years? This book has it all, and it was such an interesting read.
If you are a computer fan, or a fan of history, this is the book for you. Or are you like me a curious reader? Then it’s the book for you as well. I love learning about new things! I recommend it!
I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
Packed with facts and wonderful illustrations, you get a book dedicated to computers. Who invented what, where did it start, and how has different computers evolved through the years? This book has it all, and it was such an interesting read.
If you are a computer fan, or a fan of history, this is the book for you. Or are you like me a curious reader? Then it’s the book for you as well. I love learning about new things! I recommend it!
I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2022
This book is extremely dense.. It's basically textbook-level amount of words and a few drawings added to make it colorful. I enjoyed the graphics and the layout of this book, and really appreciated the biographies of influential people in the computer field. This book has a lot of information which is hard to process in such a compact format. It's definitely a book that I would like to own and have for enough time to really appreciate all the information which is included.
Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced opportunity to read this book and I am giving an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced opportunity to read this book and I am giving an honest review.
March 16, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an ARC of this wonderful book! As a third year Computing student, and soon to be trainee Computer Science teacher, I was so happy when I was granted the ARC of this. Targeted at high school children, with fantastic images and information, this is amazing. I will 100% be purchasing a copy of this when it comes out! And for it to be written by a woman - what an amazing example of a Woman in STEM. Bravo Rachel! And thank you!
September 13, 2022
I read this book to see if there was much in it that I didn't know already and there wasn't. The book gives a nice overview in chronological order of the advances in computers up to the present day. Easy to read and would make a good text for elementary students new to the field. Some photographs included as well as a large number of cartoon illustrations which do not show well in the ebook version.
January 22, 2023
As always, Ignotofsky's artwork and research are fantastic! This was a thorough look at the history of the computer which also made room to talk about some of the marginalized contributors to its history (not just the famous white guys). The design and layout of the book was so neat with lots of great illustrations, although there was so much info that it was a bit dense to read at times. Another great addition to Ignotofsky's nonfiction science/history books for kids!
December 25, 2024
Six stars if I could!!
This book is a vibrant celebration of the technology that shapes our world, perfectly balancing rich visuals with deep, engaging information. As an IT enthusiast, this was the ultimate geek-out gift from my husband, and it instantly earned a place of honor in my IT library.
A heartfelt thank-you to my husband for this perfect Christmas gift—it’s more than a book; it’s a journey through the history of the tools that drive my passion and career!
This book is a vibrant celebration of the technology that shapes our world, perfectly balancing rich visuals with deep, engaging information. As an IT enthusiast, this was the ultimate geek-out gift from my husband, and it instantly earned a place of honor in my IT library.
A heartfelt thank-you to my husband for this perfect Christmas gift—it’s more than a book; it’s a journey through the history of the tools that drive my passion and career!
June 28, 2022
I got this book through the Goodreads Giveaway Program in exchange for a review.
Not mentioned in the description, but the book seems to be aimed at middle schoolers. Still, a good overview of the computer and how it's evolved over the years. Many important figures are given thumbnail descriptions of their accomplishments. Told me a lot I didn't know. Glad I won it.
Not mentioned in the description, but the book seems to be aimed at middle schoolers. Still, a good overview of the computer and how it's evolved over the years. Many important figures are given thumbnail descriptions of their accomplishments. Told me a lot I didn't know. Glad I won it.
October 19, 2023
This was a fabulous book that highly exceeded my expectations. I stumbled upon it by accident while doing an online library search and borrowed it on a whim. I'm so glad I did as the book was full of excellent information about the history of computers and the important people who have contributed to the technology and industry through time.
August 25, 2024
Reseña completa en mi blog
Es un libro de divulgación cuyo contenido está muy bien enfocado y documentado. Además, tanto la maquetación como las ilustraciones hacen que resulte agradable leer sobre ciertos conceptos que, en otro formato, resultarían aburridos y abrumadores.
Es un libro de divulgación cuyo contenido está muy bien enfocado y documentado. Además, tanto la maquetación como las ilustraciones hacen que resulte agradable leer sobre ciertos conceptos que, en otro formato, resultarían aburridos y abrumadores.
September 9, 2024
Relatively engaging, and definitely the only palatable way for me to read about the history of the computer. This graphic novel is much more readable than a dry textbook or something similar. Give this a go if you are interested in the history of computers and the people who were pioneers in the various stages of this field!
Want to read
March 18, 2022Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 27, 2022
Informational book on all things related to computers. Very interesting read and very informative. Quirky facts aswell.
June 23, 2022
There is a book called "The history of the computer" and this book wins my respect...because it shows all the history behind that discovery. :3
August 19, 2022
Such a beautifully illustrated and easy to follow (and very fun) guide to the history of computers and computing. Can’t recommend more highly. Love it!
September 8, 2022
A gorgeously illustrated overview of computers through history!
November 20, 2022
great timeline for all the young people that have always had computers
March 6, 2023
3.5 stars
Very thorough.
Very thorough.
December 21, 2023
Great book and good explanation illustrates
It is good for young readers. I have referred it to my son who is 17 years old, and to any person who like science
It is good for young readers. I have referred it to my son who is 17 years old, and to any person who like science
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews