Description
Book SynopsisJacquard''s Web is the story of some of the most ingenious inventors the world has ever known, a fascinating account of how a hand-loom invented in Napoleonic France led to the development of the modern information age. James Essinger, a master story-teller, shows through a series of remarkable and meticulously researched historical connections (spanning two centuries and never investigated before) that the Jacquard loom kick-started a process of scientific evolution which would lead directly to the development of the modern computer. The invention of Jacquard''s loom in 1804 enabled the master silk-weavers of Lyons to weave fabrics 25 times faster than had previously been possible. The device used punched cards, which stored instructions for weaving whatever pattern or design was required; it proved an outstanding success. These cards can very reasonably be described as the world''s first computer programmes. In this engaging and delightful book, James Essinger reveals a plethora of e
Trade ReviewJacquard's web is a special book that explains more than the connections between loom and computer: it presents a fascinating history of talented and creative people developing and inventing the tools of progress. * Chris Arney, Mathematical Reviews *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; 1. The engraving that wasn't ; 2. A better mouse-trap ; 3. The son of a master weaver ; 4. The emperor's new clothes ; 5. From weaving to computing ; 6. The difference engine ; 7. The analytical engine ; 8. A question of faith and funding ; 9. The lady who loved the Jacquard loom ; 10. A crisis with the American census ; 11. The first Jacquard looms that wove information ; 12. The birth of IBM ; 13. The Thomas Watson phenomenon ; 14. Howard Aiken dreams of a computer ; 15. IBM and the Harvard Mark 1 ; 16. Weaving at the speed of light ; 17. The future ; Index
