The Man Who Invented the Computer

In this compelling biography, acclaimed author Jane Smiley chronicles the life of John Vincent Atanasoff, the pioneering physicist who envisioned a revolutionary computing machine in the late 1930s. Despite his groundbreaking work on the binary number system and electronic switches, Atanasoff's contributions largely went unrecognized due to a lack of patenting and the appropriation of his ideas by others. Smiley masterfully weaves technical insight with narrative excitement, capturing the intricate race to develop digital computing and highlighting Atanasoff's significant yet overlooked legacy in the tech world.