Regarded as a crackpot by his contemporaries and a genius by modern scientists, Charles Babbage (1792 1871) was the true discoverer of the principles on which all modern computing machines are based. His achievements have been virtually forgotten, but this compilation of his writings, in addition to those of several of his contemporaries, illuminates his pioneering work.
Part I consists of selections from Babbage's long-out-of-print autobiography, "Passages from the Life of a Philosopher, " in which he recounts the pursuit of his dreams and remarks on noteworthy acquaintances, including...