Authors: Emmanuel Goldstein.
Hardcover, 888 pages
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Date: 2008-07-21


Reviews :

    Since 1984, the quarterly magazine 2600 has provided fascinating articles for readers who are curious about technology. Find the best of the magazine’s writing in Best of 2600: A Hacker Odyssey, a collection of the strongest, most interesting, and often most controversial articles covering 24 years of changes in technology, all from a hacker’s perspective. Included are stories about the creation of the infamous tone dialer “red box” that allowed hackers to make free phone calls from payphones, the founding of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the insecurity of modern locks....

Authors: Tracy Kidder.
Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Publication Date: 2000-06-01


Reviews :

    The computer revolution brought with it new methods of getting work done--just look at today's news for reports of hard-driven, highly-motivated young software and online commerce developers who sacrifice evenings and weekends to meet impossible deadlines. Tracy Kidder got a preview of this world in the late 1970s when he observed the engineers of Data General design and build a new 32-bit minicomputer in just one year. His thoughtful, prescient book, The Soul of a New Machine, tells stories of 35-year-old "veteran" engineers hiring recent college graduates and encouraging them to work harder and faster on complex and difficult projects, exploiting the youngsters' ignorance of normal scheduling processes while engendering a new kind of work ethic.

These days, we are used to the "total commitment" philosophy of managing technical creation, but Kidder was surprised and even a little alarmed at the obsessions and compulsions he found. From in-house political struggles to workers being permitted to tease management to marathon 24-hour work sessions, The Soul of a New Machine explores concepts that already seem familiar, even old-hat, less than 20 years later. Kidder plainly admires his subjects; while he admits to hopeless confusion about their work, he finds their dedication heroic. The reader wonders, though, what will become of it all, now and in the future. --Rob Lightner...

    The computer revolution brought with it new methods of getting work done--just look at today's news for reports of hard-driven, highly-motivated young software and online commerce developers who sacrifice evenings and weekends to meet impossible deadlines. Tracy Kidder got a preview of this world in the late 1970s when he observed the engineers of Data General design and build a new 32-bit minicomputer in just one year. His thoughtful, prescient book, The Soul of a New Machine, tells stories of 35-year-old "veteran" engineers hiring recent college graduates and encouraging them to work harder and faster on complex and difficult projects, exploiting the youngsters' ignorance of normal scheduling processes while engendering a new kind of work ethic. These days, we are used to the "total commitment" philosophy of managing technical creation, but Kidder was surprised and even a little alarmed at the obsessions and compulsions he found. From in-house political struggles to workers being permitted to tease management to marathon 24-hour work sessions, The Soul of a New Machine explores concepts that already seem familiar, even old-hat, less than 20 years later. Kidder plainly admires his subjects; while he admits to hopeless confusion about their work, he finds their dedication heroic. The reader wonders, though, what will become of it all, now and in the future. --Rob Lightner...

Authors:
Paperback, 362 pages
Publisher: The MIT Press
Publication Date: 2008-05-31


Reviews :

    The groundbreaking mix CD that accompanies this book features Nam Jun Paik, the Dada Movement, John Cage, Sonic Youth, and many other examples of avant-garde music. Most of the CD's content comes from the archives of Sub Rosa, a legendary record label that has been the benchmark for archival sounds since the beginnings of electronic music. (For a complete list of audio credits, see below.)

If Rhythm Science was about the flow of things, Sound Unbound is about the remix--how music, art, and literature have blurred the lines between what an artist can do and what a composer can create. In Sound Unbound, Rhythm Science author Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid asks artists to describe their work and compositional strategies in their own words. These are reports from the front lines on the role of sound and digital media in an information-based society. The topics are as diverse as the contributors: composer Steve Reich offers a memoir of his life with technology, from tape loops to video opera; Miller himself considers sampling and civilization; novelist Jonathan Lethem writes about appropriation and plagiarism; science fiction writer Bruce Sterling looks at dead media; Ron Eglash examines racial signifiers in electrical engineering; media activist Naeem Mohaiemen explores the influence of Islam on hip hop; rapper Chuck D contributes "Three Pieces"; musician Brian Eno explores the sound and history of bells; Hans Ulrich Obrist and Philippe Parreno interview composer-conductor Pierre Boulez; and much more. "Press 'play,'" Miller writes, "and this anthology says 'here goes.'"

Contributors:
David Allenby, Pierre Boulez, Catherine Corman, Chuck D, Erik Davis, Scott De Lahunta, Manuel DeLanda, Cory Doctorow, Eveline Domnitch, Frances Dyson, Ron Eglash, Brian Eno, Dmitry Gelfand, Dick Hebdige, Lee Hirsch, Vijay Iyer, Ken Jordan, Douglas Kahn, Daphne Keller, Beryl Korot, Jaron Lanier, Joseph Lanza, Jonathan Lethem, Carlo McCormick, Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid, Moby, Naeem Mohaiemen, Alondra Nelson, Keith and Mendi Obadike, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Pauline Oliveros, Philippe Parreno, Ibrahim Quraishi, Steve Reich, Simon Reynolds, Scanner aka Robin Rimbaud, Nadine Robinson, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Alex Steinweiss, Bruce Sterling, Lucy Walker, Saul Williams, Jeff E. Winner.

On the CD:

1. RadioMentale and Matthew Herbert, "Cool Noises"
2. Martyn Bates/Allen Ginsberg, "Once Loved/A Footnote to 'Howl' (DJ Spooky Remix)"
3. Jean Cocteau, "Le buste (DJ Spooky Remix)"
4. Sun Ra, "Imagination"
5. Mikhail/Gertrude Stein, "Untitled in CoF Minor/A Valentine to Sherwood Anderson (DJ Spooky Remix)"
6. DJ Spooky vs. Rob Swift, "Scratch Battle"
7. Marcel Duchamp/The Master Musicians of Joujouka/RadioMentale, "The Creative Act/Interview with George Heard Hamilton/Boujeloud (Solo Drums)/I Could Never Make That Music Again"
8. Raymond Scott, "The Paperwork Explosion"
9. Alter Echo/Pamela Z, "Perpetual Next/Pop Titles 'You'"*
10. Liam Gillick/ RadioMentale and Aphex Twin, "Sarah (Los Angeles Soundtrack)/I Could Never Make That Music Again"
11. James Joyce/Erik Satie, "Eolian Episode/Gnossiene (DJ Spooky Dub Version)"
12. Steve Reich, "Reed Phase"
13. Shukar/RadioMentale/Raoul Hausmann, "Cika-Laka/Cool Noises/Bbb"
14. Augustos de Campos/Bill Laswell/To Rococo Rot, "Dias Dias Dias (Spoken by Caetano Veloso)/Above the Earth/Contacte"
15. John Cage, "Rozart Mix"
16. Antonin Artaud, "Pour Finir avec le Jugement de Dieu (To Have Done with God's Judgment) (DJ Spooky Remix)"
17. DJ Spooky, "One Laptop Theme"
18. Susan Deyhim, "The Spilled Cup (DJ Spooky Remix)"
19. Raymond Scott, "General Motors: Futurama (Interstitial)"
20. Marcel Duchamp/George Lewis and Aki Takase, "Erratum Musical (Score for Three Voices)/Voyage for Three"
21. Bill Laswell/René Magritte, "Ghost Dub/Le Surréalisme et les Questions"
22. Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker/Pauline Oliveros, "The First Set— Area 4 (Solo)/A Little Noise in the System (Moog System)"
23. Bora Yoon, "// (DJ Spooky Remix)"
24. Pierre Schaeffer, "Cinqétudes de bruits: Étude violette"
25. Daniel Bernard Roumain and Ryuichi Sakamoto, "The Need to Be"**
26. Phillip Glass, "Music in Fifths"
27. Edgard Varèse, "Poème électronique"
28. Iannis Xenakis, "Concret PH"
29. Ryoji Ikeda, "One Minute"
30. Sonic Youth, "Audience (DJ Spooky Remix)"
31. Alter Echo/Ge-te Do-pe, "Aftermath of Creations Dub (in Three Parts)/Dong Lim"
32. Terry Riley/Alter Echo, "Dorian Reeds/Aftermath of Creations Dub (in Three Parts)"
33. Luigi Russolo/DJ Spooky, "Corale/FTP > Bundle/Conduit 23"
34. Fanfare Savale/Vladimir Mayakovsky, "Rumba Lu Georgel/I Know the Power of Words"
35. Droma/Trilok Gurtu and Bill Laswell, "Pilgrim's Song (Trala Shepa)/Kala"
36. Nam Jun Paik, "Hommage à John Cage"
37. Morton Subotnick/DJ Spooky, "Mandolin/Acid Bassline"
38. The Master Musicians of Joujouka/Hans Arp, "Mali Mal Hal M'Halmaz/Boujeloud (Solo Drums)/Dada-Sprüche"
39. Sub Swara/Kurt Schwitters, "Koli Stance/Anna Blume"
40. Walter Ruttmann/Troupe from Taschingang, "Week End/Ache Lhamo"
41. Raymond Scott, "Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People"
42. Martyn Bates/Trinlem, "I Can't Look for You/The Palaces of Gesar's Family (DJ Spooky Remix)"
43. Otto Luening and Vladimir Ussachevsky, "Incantation for Tape"
44. Carsten Nicolai, "Time ... Dot(3)"
45. William S. Burroughs and Iggy Pop with Techno Animal, "The Western Land"

*From Pamela Z's A Delay Is Better CD released by Starkland (www.starkland.com).
**"The Need to Be" is from DBR's album etudes4violin&electronix released on Thirsty Ear Recordings.

Special thanks for Editorial Assistance to Roy Christopher....

Authors: Dennis Sherman. Joyce Salisbury.
Paperback, 528 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Publication Date: 2007-12-06
Edition: 3

Reviews :

    The West in the World relates the story of how the west has transformed - and been transformed by - the rest of the world. The authors examine the West’s contributions to the world and how the west has changed and embraced new ideas through contact with the people outside its center. Using a political / cultural framework the text weaves a strong thread of social history into the narrative by showing how civilizations grow and are shaped through the decisions and actions of real people. The authors bring history to life by using art and maps as a central feature of learning. They build discussions of art into the narrative to help students interpret artwork, and provide analytical map guides that reveal the connections between geography, politics, and other developments. This strong, rich narrative is short enough to allow instructors the flexibility of introducing other sources and books as supplement, while giving students a solid understanding of Western Civilization without overwhelming them....

Authors: Gottfried Vossen. Stephan Hagemann.
Paperback, 384 pages
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
Publication Date: 2007-07-27


Reviews :

    The emergence of Web 2.0 is provoking challenging questions for developers: What products and services can our company provide to customers and employees using Rich Internet Applications, mash-ups, Web feeds or Ajax? Which business models are appropriate and how do we implement them? What are best practices and how do we apply them?

If you need answers to these and related questions, you need this booka comprehensive and reliable resource that guides you into the emerging and unstructured landscape that is Web 2.0.

Gottfried Vossen is a professor of Information Systems and Computer Science at the University of Muenster in Germany. He is the European Editor-in-Chief of Elseviers Information SystemsAn International Journal. Stephan Hagemann is a PhD. Student in Gottfrieds research group focused on Web technologies.

* Presents a complete view of Web 2.0 including services and technologies
* Discusses potential new products and services and the technology and programming ability needed to realize them
* Offers how to basics presenting development frameworks and best practices
* Compares and contrasts Web 2.0 with the Semantic Web...

Authors: Dennis Sherman. Joyce Salisbury.
Paperback, 480 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Publication Date: 2007-12-06
Edition: 3

Reviews :

    The West in the World relates the story of how the west has transformed – and been transformed by - the rest of the world. The authors examine the West’s contributions to the world and how the west has changed and embraced new ideas through contact with the people outside its center. Using a political / cultural framework the text weaves a strong thread of social history into the narrative by showing how civilizations grow and are shaped through the decisions and actions of real people. The authors bring history to life by using art and maps as a central feature of learning. They build discussions of art into the narrative to help students interpret artwork, and provide analytical map guides that reveal the connections between geography, politics, and other developments. This strong, rich narrative is short enough to allow instructors the flexibility of introducing other sources and books as supplement, while giving students a solid understanding of Western Civilization without overwhelming them....

Authors: Steven Levy. Steven Levy.
Paperback, 464 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Publication Date: 2001-01
Edition: Updated

Reviews :

    Steven Levy's classic book explains why the misuse of the word "hackers" to describe computer criminals does a terrible disservice to many important shapers of the digital revolution. Levy follows members of an MIT model railroad club--a group of brilliant budding electrical engineers and computer innovators--from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s. These eccentric characters used the term "hack" to describe a clever way of improving the electronic system that ran their massive railroad. And as they started designing clever ways to improve computer systems, "hack" moved over with them. These maverick characters were often fanatics who did not always restrict themselves to the letter of the law and who devoted themselves to what became known as "The Hacker Ethic." The book traces the history of hackers, from finagling access to clunky computer-card-punching machines to uncovering the inner secrets of what would become the Internet. This story of brilliant, eccentric, flawed, and often funny people devoted to their dream of a better world will appeal to a wide audience....

    Today, technology is cool. Owning the most powerful computer, the latest high-tech gadget, and the whizziest web site is a status symbol on a par with having a flashy car or a designer suit. And a media obsessed with the digital explosion has reappropriated the term "computer nerd" so that it's practically synonymous with "entrepreneur." Yet, a mere fifteen years ago, wireheads hooked on tweaking endless lines of code were seen as marginal weirdos, outsiders whose world would never resonate with the mainstream. That was before one pioneering work documented the underground computer revolution that was about to change our world forever. With groundbreaking profiles of Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, MIT's tech Model Railroad Club, and more, Steven Levy's Hackers brilliantly captures a seminal moment when the risk takers and explorers were poised to conquer twentieth-century America's last great frontier. And in the Internet age, "the hacker ethic"--first espoused here--is alive an well....

Authors: Benjamin Aranda. Chris Lasch.
Paperback, 96 pages
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Publication Date: 2005-11-01
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    We all know that today's architectural design has moved from the sketchpad to the screen the era of the Mayline and the drafting board now seems downright Paleolithic but techniques for using the computer not just as a tool for rendering but as a generative instrument remain woefully unexplored. In Tooling, the latest installment in our renowned Pamphlet Architecture series, the technologically progressive young firm Aranda/Lasch illustrates how advanced computational methods and algorithmic codes can be used to foster architectural design.

Tooling explores patterns generated by computer codes that in turn create an organizational template assembling projects. By openly sharing these codes, the authors seek to foster further investigation into their methods, allowing other architects to model and evolve more critical and insightful geometries and patterns....

Authors: Katie Hafner.
Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 1998-01-21


Reviews :

    Considering that the history of the Internet is perhaps better documented internally than any other technological construct, it is remarkable how shadowy its origins have been to most people, including die-hard Net-denizens!

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past -- and the future -- of the Net specifically, and telecommunications generally....

    Twenty five years ago, it didn't exist. Today, twenty million people worldwide are surfing the Net. Where Wizards Stay Up Late is the exciting story of the pioneers responsible for creating the most talked about, most influential, and most far-reaching communications breakthrough since the invention of the telephone.

In the 1960's, when computers where regarded as mere giant calculators, J.C.R. Licklider at MIT saw them as the ultimate communications devices. With Defense Department funds, he and a band of visionary computer whizzes began work on a nationwide, interlocking network of computers. Taking readers behind the scenes, Where Wizards Stay Up Late captures the hard work, genius, and happy accidents of their daring, stunningly successful venture.

...

    Twenty five years ago, it didn't exist. Today, twenty million people worldwide are surfing the Net. "Where Wizards Stay Up Late" is the exciting story of the pioneers responsible for creating the most talked about, most influential, and most far-reaching communications breakthrough since the invention of the telephone. In the 1960's, when computers where regarded as mere giant calculators, J.C.R. Licklider at MIT saw them as the ultimate communications devices. With Defense Department funds, he and a band of visionary computer whizzes began work on a nationwide, interlocking network of computers. Taking readers behind the scenes, "Where Wizards Stay Up Late" captures the hard work, genius, and happy accidents of their daring, stunningly successful venture. ...

Authors: John Alderman.
Hardcover, 160 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: 2007-05-10


Reviews :

    An unprecedented combination of computer history and striking images, Core Memory reveals modern technology's evolution through the world's most renowned computer collection, the Computer History Museum in the Silicon Valley. Vivid photos capture these historically important machines including the Eniac, Crays 1 3, Apple I and II while authoritative text profiles each, telling the stories of their innovations and peculiarities. Thirty-five machines are profiled in over 100 extraordinary color photographs, making Core Memory a surprising addition to the library of photography collectors and the ultimate geek-chic gift....