A book for general readers from the creator of VisiCalc, the pioneering electronic spreadsheet program
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Information About Bricklin on Technology A book by Dan Bricklin |
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"...it was my favorite read of the summer. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone interested
in both the history of technology and the thought process and observations of one of the undisputed
computer technology pioneers."
The human aspect of technology:
Inventor, entrepreneur, and longtime blogger Dan Bricklin explores a diverse collection of
subjects in this book. From the personal conversations of commuters heading home to those
of warriors guiding missiles . . . from music to gesture recognition on the Apple
iPhone . . . from the American Revolution to today's political conventions . . . from nuclear
power plants to simple tools used by millions . . . this is technology at the human level.
How it is created, how it is used, and how it evolves. Stories and commentary from a software pioneer. The target audience are people who are interested in technology, whether they use it or develop it. No special technical background is assumed.
Front Cover:
Few have contributed more than Dan to making computing technology a part of our everyday lives.
This book is rich in history - filled with the stories and unique insights of a software pioneer
whose groundbreaking work was a key catalyst of the PC revolution.
Although he describes himself simply as a 'toolmaker,' Dan's work over the years, and his
understanding of the relationship between people
and machines, show him to be one of the master craftsmen of the information age.
- Ray Ozzie, Chief Software Architect, Microsoft
Quotes on the Back Cover:
As co-creator of VisiCalc, the first computerized spreadsheet,
Dan Bricklin literally created the PC industry. To a student of software,
VisiCalc is the embodiment of so many novel and important ideas in software,
lessons which are still relevant today.
- Joel Spolsky, Joel on Software
Nobody knows more than Dan about what technology is, where it's been and where it's going.
If I only had one book of technology in my library, this would be it.
- Doc Searls, coauthor, The Cluetrain Manifesto
Dan Bricklin was one of the first programmers to focus more on what's in the user's head
than on what's in the programmer's head. VisiCalc foreshadowed the single most important
idea: Don't 'tell' the computer what you want; show it! Dan Bricklin . . . is still showing
rather than telling, and in this anecdotal yet insightful book, he does another excellent job
of it. . . .
- Esther Dyson, EDventure Holdings
Fascinating history, fascinating insights, fascinating perspective - all solidly grounded
in what makes technology work for normal human beings. Bricklin gives you a good foundation
for thinking about your own tech.
- Jakob Nielsen, Principal, Nielsen Norman Group
Author, Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity
Dan Bricklin was at the heart of the personal computer revolution,
and he kept learning and participating in technology's ongoing evolution.
Now, with his new book, he helps us understand the most important part of this change:
Humanity is creating a collaborative sphere of vast power and scale.
- Dan Gillmor, Director of the Knight Center
for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University
Table of Contents:
Details:
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-470-40237-5 512 Pages Paperback May 2009 |
Buy Now!
Dan maintains a blog called "Dan Bricklin's Log" where he posts his thoughts and observations.
He also posts to Twitter as "@DanB."
The "More..." page has essays and other material related to the book written by Dan after publication.
Book-Related News
See News Page for details.
Dennis Kennedy review added. [20-AUG-09] Second YouTube video added. [24-MAY-09] First YouTube video added. [24-MAY-09] First Reviews on Amazon added to the Reviews section. [18-MAY-09] Brad Feld's review added to the Reviews section. [17-MAY-09] Technometria Interview added to the Reviews section. [12-MAY-09] New page "Turning My Blog Into A Book" added to the More section. [13-APR-09] New "About the Author" page in the More section. [12-APR-09] New pages in the More section. [7-APR-09] Ariely in Time magazine. [6-APR-09] This web site for the book was first created. [6-APR-09] |