where to get it, and another view (Score 2, Insightful)

First off, I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. Read most of it, but didn't bother finishing it. I really wanted this to have been a better book. I like reading about technology (and also write about it); and I like reading about history (including Victorian-era England).

It wasn't the subject matter but the writing style that put me off. Swade tells two stories: Babbage's and his own. Both are told sequentially, and neither is told in a particularly exciting way. Swade is a precise reporter, writing clear and understandable prose. But that's not enough to hook a reader.

Swade never communicated to me any real feel for how the machines work(ed). The plates show various pictures, but I would have liked to get some kind of more useful visuals that show what gets turned and what moves as a result, and how it all gets processed within. Ditto for how the things would be programmed. Yes, Jacquard looms and all that, but what did Babbage have in mind for instructions for his machine? I never found out.

I lost interest in this one towards the end, and just put it down for a couple of weeks; I flipped through to the end, but lack of detail bothered me. I wanted to see pictures of the pieces being made for the reproduction, and read about what tools and techniques were used. What was it like to touch? What did it feel like to put together or take apart?

All in all, a disatisfying read.

BTW, your local public library is a great place to go for great books!


Give a hoot - read a book!