Business Builders in Computers

Children's Literature

It is not a stretch to say that our very way of life would not be possible without computers. In this well-written, 160-page book, Nathan Aaseng takes the reader on the remarkable quest to build these machines, from the creation of the abacus 5000 years ago to the advent of the World Wide Web. By profiling eight brilliant founders of the computer industry, such as the Watsons of IBM, Bill Gates of Microsoft, and Steve Jobs of Apple, Aaseng compiles a comprehensive overview of this fascinating enterprise. The writing is smart and succinct, weaving tales of these giant personalities who used their wits and vision to build careers marked by failures every bit as dramatic as their successes. Along the way, the author develops an easy-to-follow primer that tells a lot about how these fascinating machines work. The book includes a respectable bibliography for those students who wish to further pursue the endless wonders of computers. It is part of the "Business Builders" series. 2000, Oliver Press, $19.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Karen Deans

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-Intel, IBM, AOL, and Apple are all familiar terms to students, but few know about the individuals responsible for the computer revolution. The history of the industry and its movers and shakers are profiled in an engrossing manner. The book begins with a history of computing and calculating machines and continues with short biographies of the men who founded and headed the businesses that molded the industry as we know it today. Each chapter includes pertinent black-and-white photographs of the inventions and people discussed. Individuals profiled include Thomas Watson (IBM), An Wang, Seymour Cray, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore (Intel), Bill Gates, Steve Jobs (Apple), and Steve Case (AOL). This book will appeal to students interested in technology and will be useful for research.-Elizabeth Stumpf, Clearfield Middle School, PA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.