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SoBrief
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A People’s History of Computing in the United States
by Joy Lisi Rankin • 2018
The PC erased a decade of shared computing where users were creators, not customers.
3.49
193
A People’s History of Computing in the United States Summary
A People’s History of Computing in the United States 93%
The PC erased a decade of shared computing where users were creators, not customers.
by Joy Lisi Rankin 2018
3.49
193 ratings
Hackers
by Steven Levy • 1984
Before the garage, a creed of open access and hands-on tinkering drove the computer revolution.
4.16
9k+
Hackers Summary
Hackers 90%
Before the garage, a creed of open access and hands-on tinkering drove the computer revolution.
by Steven Levy 1984
4.16
9k+ ratings
The Design of the UNIX Operating System
by Maurice J. Bach • 1986
What actually happens between the shell prompt and the hardware: the Unix kernel explained.
4.25
605
The Design of the UNIX Operating System Summary
The Design of the UNIX Operating System 89%
What actually happens between the shell prompt and the hardware: the Unix kernel explained.
by Maurice J. Bach 1986
4.25
605 ratings
PCs For Dummies
by Dan Gookin • 1992
From plugging it in to fixing it yourself: the manual your PC never came with.
3.57
111
PCs For Dummies Summary
PCs For Dummies 89%
From plugging it in to fixing it yourself: the manual your PC never came with.
by Dan Gookin 1992
3.57
111 ratings
Code
by Charles Petzold • 1999
How a simple switch, a telegraph relay, and Boolean logic became the modern computer.
4.40
11k+
Code Summary
Code 89%
How a simple switch, a telegraph relay, and Boolean logic became the modern computer.
by Charles Petzold 1999
4.40
11k+ ratings
The Innovators
by Walter Isaacson • 2011
Collaboration, not solitary genius, built the computer. The human story of the digital revolution.
4.12
40k+
The Innovators Summary
The Innovators 89%
Collaboration, not solitary genius, built the computer. The human story of the digital revolution.
by Walter Isaacson 2011
4.12
40k+ ratings
Broad Band
by Claire L. Evans • 2018
Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.
3.93
2k+
Broad Band Summary
Broad Band 89%
Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.
by Claire L. Evans 2018
3.93
2k+ ratings
Computational Thinking
by Peter J. Denning • 2019
It is a 4,500-year-old practice that built modern science, yet most confuse it with just coding.
3.63
304
Computational Thinking Summary
Computational Thinking 88%
It is a 4,500-year-old practice that built modern science, yet most confuse it with just coding.
by Peter J. Denning 2019
3.63
304 ratings
The 8088 and 8086 Microprocessors
by Walter A. Triebel • 1991
Master the 8088 and 8086 from the metal up: assembly, debugging, and interfacing.
4.17
195
The 8088 and 8086 Microprocessors Summary
The 8088 and 8086 Microprocessors 88%
Master the 8088 and 8086 from the metal up: assembly, debugging, and interfacing.
by Walter A. Triebel 1991
4.17
195 ratings
How Computers Really Work
by Matthew Justice • 2020
From transistor to web: the computing stack explained layer by layer, no prerequisites required.
4.35
160
How Computers Really Work Summary
How Computers Really Work 88%
From transistor to web: the computing stack explained layer by layer, no prerequisites required.
by Matthew Justice 2020
4.35
160 ratings
Ada's Algorithm
by James Essinger • 2013
In 1843, Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer program and imagined machines that compose music.
3.27
2k+
Ada's Algorithm Summary
Ada's Algorithm 88%
In 1843, Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer program and imagined machines that compose music.
by James Essinger 2013
3.27
2k+ ratings
Structured Computer Organization
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum • 1976
From logic gates to assembly code: the layered architecture every computer hides in plain sight.
4.04
591
Structured Computer Organization Summary
Structured Computer Organization 88%
From logic gates to assembly code: the layered architecture every computer hides in plain sight.
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum 1976
4.04
591 ratings
iWoz - Computer Geek to Cult Icon
by Steve Wozniak • 2006
Phone-hacking pranks, the Apple I, and the engineer who left his own revolution to teach.
3.85
18k+
iWoz - Computer Geek to Cult Icon Summary
iWoz - Computer Geek to Cult Icon 88%
Phone-hacking pranks, the Apple I, and the engineer who left his own revolution to teach.
by Steve Wozniak 2006
3.85
18k+ ratings
Machines of Loving Grace
by John Markoff • 2015
Silicon Valley split between replacing humans and upgrading them. The fight isn't over.
3.67
627
Machines of Loving Grace Summary
Machines of Loving Grace 88%
Silicon Valley split between replacing humans and upgrading them. The fight isn't over.
by John Markoff 2015
3.67
627 ratings
Operating Systems
by William Stallings • 1991
How UNIX, Linux, and Solaris kernels work inside: from fork() to page faults.
3.72
421
Operating Systems Summary
Operating Systems 88%
How UNIX, Linux, and Solaris kernels work inside: from fork() to page faults.
by William Stallings 1991
3.72
421 ratings
ColdFusion Presents
by Dagogo Altraide • 2019
From steam to AI: the chain of breakthroughs that built the modern world, every link essential.
4.17
780
ColdFusion Presents Summary
ColdFusion Presents 88%
From steam to AI: the chain of breakthroughs that built the modern world, every link essential.
by Dagogo Altraide 2019
4.17
780 ratings
Automate This
by Christopher Steiner • 2012
Algorithms took Wall Street. Now they compose music, allocate kidneys, and profile personalities.
3.82
4k+
Automate This Summary
Automate This 88%
Algorithms took Wall Street. Now they compose music, allocate kidneys, and profile personalities.
by Christopher Steiner 2012
3.82
4k+ ratings
Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future
by John MacCormick • 2012
The hidden algorithms behind search and security, and the one problem no machine can solve.
3.89
2k+
Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future Summary
Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future 88%
The hidden algorithms behind search and security, and the one problem no machine can solve.
by John MacCormick 2012
3.89
2k+ ratings
The Road Ahead
by Bill Gates • 1995
In 1995, Bill Gates mapped the digital future: commerce, education, and homes that recognize you.
3.74
4k+
The Road Ahead Summary
The Road Ahead 88%
In 1995, Bill Gates mapped the digital future: commerce, education, and homes that recognize you.
by Bill Gates 1995
3.74
4k+ ratings
Operating System Concepts
by Abraham Silberschatz • 1985
There is exactly one program that never stops on your computer; everything else negotiates with it.
3.90
2k+
Operating System Concepts Summary
Operating System Concepts 88%
There is exactly one program that never stops on your computer; everything else negotiates with it.
by Abraham Silberschatz 1985
3.90
2k+ ratings
Geek Sublime
by Vikram Chandra • 2013
Why great code feels elegant: the answer may lie in ancient Indian aesthetics, not algorithms.
3.28
1k+
Geek Sublime Summary
Geek Sublime 88%
Why great code feels elegant: the answer may lie in ancient Indian aesthetics, not algorithms.
by Vikram Chandra 2013
3.28
1k+ ratings
Source Code
by Bill Gates • 2025
How card games, a high school mainframe, and a friend's death forged Microsoft's co-founder.
4.15
15k+
Source Code Summary
Source Code 88%
How card games, a high school mainframe, and a friend's death forged Microsoft's co-founder.
by Bill Gates 2025
4.15
15k+ ratings
Software Engineering
by Ian Sommerville • 1982
From requirements to deployment: the systematic approach to building software that lasts.
3.77
945
Software Engineering Summary
Software Engineering 88%
From requirements to deployment: the systematic approach to building software that lasts.
by Ian Sommerville 1982
3.77
945 ratings
Masters of Doom
by David Kushner • 2003
Two coders, one lake house, and the game that turned office workers into after-hours warriors.
4.30
20k+
Masters of Doom Summary
Masters of Doom 88%
Two coders, one lake house, and the game that turned office workers into after-hours warriors.
by David Kushner 2003
4.30
20k+ ratings
Google Hacks
by Rael Dornfest • 2003
Hidden syntax, tools, and 800 million Usenet messages: how to find anything with Google.
3.68
301
Google Hacks Summary
Google Hacks 88%
Hidden syntax, tools, and 800 million Usenet messages: how to find anything with Google.
by Rael Dornfest 2003
3.68
301 ratings
The Cuckoo's Egg
by Clifford Stoll • 1989
A 75-cent error, a pager, one astronomer chasing a KGB spy through military networks.
4.28
16k+
The Cuckoo's Egg Summary
The Cuckoo's Egg 87%
A 75-cent error, a pager, one astronomer chasing a KGB spy through military networks.
by Clifford Stoll 1989
4.28
16k+ ratings
The Language of New Media
by Lev Manovich • 2001
Why a film is now a database, a screen is a control panel, and cinema became animation.
3.86
1k+
The Language of New Media Summary
The Language of New Media 87%
Why a film is now a database, a screen is a control panel, and cinema became animation.
by Lev Manovich 2001
3.86
1k+ ratings
Troublemakers
by Leslie Berlin • 2017
The seven years when a California peninsula birthed personal computing, biotech, and video games.
4.09
769
Troublemakers Summary
Troublemakers 87%
The seven years when a California peninsula birthed personal computing, biotech, and video games.
by Leslie Berlin 2017
4.09
769 ratings
Cult of the Dead Cow
by Joseph Menn • 2019
From BBS pranks to Pentagon briefings: how a hacker collective wrote the playbook for cyberdefense.
3.75
2k+
Cult of the Dead Cow Summary
Cult of the Dead Cow 87%
From BBS pranks to Pentagon briefings: how a hacker collective wrote the playbook for cyberdefense.
by Joseph Menn 2019
3.75
2k+ ratings
Chip War
by Chris Miller100 • 2022
One island makes nearly every advanced computer chip. Everything else is up for grabs.
4.40
43k+
Chip War Summary
Chip War 87%
One island makes nearly every advanced computer chip. Everything else is up for grabs.
by Chris Miller100 2022
4.40
43k+ ratings
The Control Revolution
by James R. Beniger • 1986
Steam outran human control. The century-long scramble to catch up invented modern data processing.
4.16
112
The Control Revolution Summary
The Control Revolution 87%
Steam outran human control. The century-long scramble to catch up invented modern data processing.
by James R. Beniger 1986
4.16
112 ratings
Computing machinery and intelligence
by Alan M. Turing • 1950
Fool the interrogator through conversation alone, and the machine deserves to be called intelligent.
4.15
574
Computing machinery and intelligence Summary
Computing machinery and intelligence 87%
Fool the interrogator through conversation alone, and the machine deserves to be called intelligent.
by Alan M. Turing 1950
4.15
574 ratings
Computer Power and Human Reason
by Joseph Weizenbaum • 1976
The computer's greatest danger isn't outthinking us; it's that we'll remake ourselves in its image.
4.31
294
Computer Power and Human Reason Summary
Computer Power and Human Reason 87%
The computer's greatest danger isn't outthinking us; it's that we'll remake ourselves in its image.
by Joseph Weizenbaum 1976
4.31
294 ratings
Computer Systems
by Randal E. Bryant • 2002
Hardware and OS abstractions beneath your code: caching, concurrency, and the full systems stack.
4.46
1k+
Computer Systems Summary
Computer Systems 87%
Hardware and OS abstractions beneath your code: caching, concurrency, and the full systems stack.
by Randal E. Bryant 2002
4.46
1k+ ratings
How AI Thinks
by Nigel Toon • 2024
It's a learning engine, not a thinking mind. The revolution is here, and it's not sentient.
3.62
322
How AI Thinks Summary
How AI Thinks 87%
It's a learning engine, not a thinking mind. The revolution is here, and it's not sentient.
by Nigel Toon 2024
3.62
322 ratings
The Eye of the Master
by Matteo Pasquinelli • 2023
AI was never about thinking machines. It was built to measure, rank, and control workers.
4.06
292
The Eye of the Master Summary
The Eye of the Master 87%
AI was never about thinking machines. It was built to measure, rank, and control workers.
by Matteo Pasquinelli 2023
4.06
292 ratings
Coding Freedom
by Gabriella Coleman • 2012
They built a free software revolution while insisting they were not political at all.
3.82
280
Coding Freedom Summary
Coding Freedom 87%
They built a free software revolution while insisting they were not political at all.
by Gabriella Coleman 2012
3.82
280 ratings
Linux Basics for Hackers
by OccupyTheWeb • 2018
Learn Linux the hacker's way: terminal-first networking, scripting, and vanishing without a trace.
4.12
595
Linux Basics for Hackers Summary
Linux Basics for Hackers 87%
Learn Linux the hacker's way: terminal-first networking, scripting, and vanishing without a trace.
by OccupyTheWeb 2018
4.12
595 ratings
Exploding the Phone
by Phil Lapsley • 2013
The phone system had a hidden language. The teenagers who mastered it invented the modern hacker.
4.20
2k+
Exploding the Phone Summary
Exploding the Phone 87%
The phone system had a hidden language. The teenagers who mastered it invented the modern hacker.
by Phil Lapsley 2013
4.20
2k+ ratings
Modern Operating Systems
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum • 1992
From process scheduling to virtual memory, the abstractions that keep your computer from crashing.
4.14
2k+
Modern Operating Systems Summary
Modern Operating Systems 87%
From process scheduling to virtual memory, the abstractions that keep your computer from crashing.
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum 1992
4.14
2k+ ratings
How the Internet Happened
by Brian McCullough • 2018
The Internet was not inevitable: a handful of companies built it in a frantic twenty-year race.
4.27
2k+
How the Internet Happened Summary
How the Internet Happened 87%
The Internet was not inevitable: a handful of companies built it in a frantic twenty-year race.
by Brian McCullough 2018
4.27
2k+ ratings
More Joel on Software
by Joel Spolsky • 2008
Ship on schedule, hire developers who skip the job boards, and know when fixing beats rewriting.
4.05
549
More Joel on Software Summary
More Joel on Software 87%
Ship on schedule, hire developers who skip the job boards, and know when fixing beats rewriting.
by Joel Spolsky 2008
4.05
549 ratings
The Hacker Crackdown
by Bruce Sterling • 1992
One AT&T crash, one Secret Service raid, and the accidental birth of digital civil liberties
3.80
3k+
The Hacker Crackdown Summary
The Hacker Crackdown 87%
One AT&T crash, one Secret Service raid, and the accidental birth of digital civil liberties
by Bruce Sterling 1992
3.80
3k+ ratings
Code Warriors
by Stephen Budiansky • 2016
Math, machines, and moral compromise: the NSA's secret Cold War against the Soviets.
3.72
760
Code Warriors Summary
Code Warriors 87%
Math, machines, and moral compromise: the NSA's secret Cold War against the Soviets.
by Stephen Budiansky 2016
3.72
760 ratings
Just for Fun
by Linus Torvalds • 2001
A Finnish student created an operating system in his bedroom, then watched it swallow the world.
3.96
5k+
Just for Fun Summary
Just for Fun 87%
A Finnish student created an operating system in his bedroom, then watched it swallow the world.
by Linus Torvalds 2001
3.96
5k+ ratings
Hackers & Painters
by Paul Graham • 2004
Making beautiful things, breaking dumb rules, and why the kid you ignored is building your future.
4.05
10k+
Hackers & Painters Summary
Hackers & Painters 87%
Making beautiful things, breaking dumb rules, and why the kid you ignored is building your future.
by Paul Graham 2004
4.05
10k+ ratings
Linux Service Management Made Easy with systemd
by Donald A. Tevault • 2022
Parallel startup, unified configs, binary logs: the systemd skills every Linux admin now needs.
3.81
21
Linux Service Management Made Easy with systemd Summary
Linux Service Management Made Easy with systemd 87%
Parallel startup, unified configs, binary logs: the systemd skills every Linux admin now needs.
by Donald A. Tevault 2022
3.81
21 ratings
Beautiful Architecture
by Diomidis Spinellis • 2008
Software guards its internals. Emacs shipped a Lisp interpreter and let users rewrite everything.
3.42
171
Beautiful Architecture Summary
Beautiful Architecture 87%
Software guards its internals. Emacs shipped a Lisp interpreter and let users rewrite everything.
by Diomidis Spinellis 2008
3.42
171 ratings
The Big Switch
by Nicholas Carr • 2008
What electrification did to factories, cloud computing is doing to business, labor, and your mind.
3.84
3k+
The Big Switch Summary
The Big Switch 87%
What electrification did to factories, cloud computing is doing to business, labor, and your mind.
by Nicholas Carr 2008
3.84
3k+ ratings
Ghost in the Wires
by Kevin D. Mitnick • 2011
He never cracked a password. He cracked people, and the FBI chased him for years.
3.97
28k+
Ghost in the Wires Summary
Ghost in the Wires 87%
He never cracked a password. He cracked people, and the FBI chased him for years.
by Kevin D. Mitnick 2011
3.97
28k+ ratings
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