Histories of Computing

Over the past few decades, advances in computing have revolutionized everything in society, from the way we communicate with friends to how we pay for food at the grocery store. The history of computers and computing has become a major field of study, but the late professor Mahoney (history & history of science, Princeton) believed that most computer historians had their approach all wrong: they accurately recorded dates, events, and inventors, but they weren't asking the important questions. He here challenges historians to approach the history of computing with the same vigor and thoroughness they applied to other aspects of history. He recognized that the history of software development was an often forgotten yet important piece of computing history. This volume compiles Mahoney's key articles, selected and edited by Haigh (information studies, Univ. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee).