JAMES ESSINGER is a writer with a particular interest in the history of ideas that have had a practical impact on the modern world. His previous book, Jacquard's Web: How a Hand-Loom Led to the Birth of the Information Age (2004), was chosen as one of the top 5 popular science books of the year by the Economist.
Praise for Ada's Algorithm
"[An] engrossing biography."
--New York Times Book Review "A tantalizing topic... The story of a
society proceeding irrevocably but ambivalently into the modern
age, enthralled by advances in science and technology, adapting to
new social mores, and yet still beholden to many antiquated
traditions."
--Wall Street Journal "Essinger is a terrific storyteller, and he
knows a great story when he sees it. Ada's Algorithm is a riveting
read."
--American Scientist "Irresistible ... If more people could have
understood Babbage's machine the way Lovelace did -- indeed, if
they had not all but ignored her paper, perhaps because the author
was a woman -- computing might have had a far earlier start."
--Chicago Tribune "A revealing firsthand look into Ada's life and
her relationship with Babbage, relying heavily on their journal
entries and letters to each other... One of the most innovative
minds of the 19th century."
--Boston Globe "A fine new Lovelace biography... We need her as a
symbol...of all the women who have contributed to the progress of
science and technology, and of all the women who might have
contributed if given the chance."
--Slate "A portrait of a particularly fascinating woman."
--Jezebel "A window on the life of one of the world's first
celebrity scientists."
--io9 "An absorbing account of a woman who was far ahead of her
time."
--Bust "The biography contains just the kind of moments of triumph
I like to read about: Ada overcoming obstacles to get an education
and make genius contributions to science."
--Bitch Magazine, Gift Guide for Science Nerds "The title says it
all. Badass tech ladies rule."
--Book Riot, Liberty Hardy (RiverRun Bookstore) picks 2014's
Must-Read Books from Indie Presses "Readers are treated to an
intimate portrait of Lovelace's short but significant life along
with an abbreviated history of 19th-century high-society
London."
--New Criterion One of the AV Club's Notable Releases for October
"If you want to focus on just one singular genius, start with this
story. It's about a woman who was born to notoriety, as Lord
Byron's daughter, who ended up writing the first computer program
and changing the world."
--Flavorwire, Must-Reads for October "Essinger describes
[Lovelace's] life with obvious respect, perhaps admiration, but
also with a careful sense of journalistic objectivity and
precision."
--Geeky Library "Stepping out of the long shadow of Lord Byron's
legacy, Essinger follows the visionary mind of Lovelace as she,
applying her educated mind to the 'Analytical Engine, ' creates the
first recognized algorithm and casts a shadow on modern technology
as long as her father's on poetry."
--Biographile "Ada Lovelace's vision has an indelible power, and we
can learn so much from it almost 200 years later. In the mechanics
of weaving machines, young Ada saw a new age for creative
technology; the energy and passion in her letters is completely
infectious! Essinger's absorbing and well-crafted book will no
doubt inspire other women in tech, or anyone who sees in one small
motion the potential to change the world."
--Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and author of Women Who
Don't Wait in Line "Entertaining and illuminating."
--Times Literary Supplement (UK)
"Essinger displays not only verve and affection . . . but also
great scholarship."
--Times Educational Supplement (UK) "[Essinger] presents Ada's
story with great enthusiasm and rich detail... Ada continues to
inspire, and by using her own voice via letters and research, the
author brings her to life for a new generation of intrepid female
innovators. A robust, engaging and exciting biography."
--Kirkus Reviews A Library Journal Editor's Pick for Fall 2014 One
of Publishers Weekly's Big Indie Books of Fall 2014 "Absorbing...
Essinger's tome is undergirded by academic research, but it is the
author's prose, both graceful and confident, that will draw in a
general readership. Readers are treated to an intimate portrait of
Lovelace's short but significant life...along with an abbreviated
history of 19th-century high-society London."
--Publishers Weekly "The author provides an engaging...look at
[Lovelace's] parents' romance, her childhood, her lifelong
fascination with mathematics, and, mostly, her friendship with
[Charles Babbage]."
--Booklist Praise for Jacquard's Web by James Essinger
"Essinger tells his story with passion and with a gracious
willingness to help the lay reader grasp the intricacies of
technology."
--Wall Street Journal
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