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Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer
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About This Book
An untold, World War II-era story of the six American women who programmed the world's first modern computer.After the end of World War II, the race for technological supremacy sped on. Top-secret research into ballistics and computing, begun during the war to aid those on the front lines, continued across the United States as engineers and programmers rushed to complete their confidential assignments. Among them were six pioneering women, tasked with figuring out how to program the world's first general-purpose, programmable, all-electronic computer--better known as the ENIAC— even though there were no instruction codes or programming languages in existence. While most students of computer history are aware of this innovative machine, the great contributions of the women who programmed it were never told -- until now. Over the course of a decade, Kathy Kleiman met with four of the original six ENIAC Programmers and recorded extensive interviews with the women about their work.
Reviews
"In the history of computer programming, stories of women's contributions are frequently untold...Kleiman spotlights one such gap in programming history here...During and after WWII, six women—Kathleen McNulty, Frances Bilas, Frances Elizabeth Snyder, Marlyn Wescoff, Ruth Lichterman, and Betty Jean Jennings—used mathematical skill and innovation to program early computing technology...Kleiman excels at capturing the pressures of working in technology during a highly stressful period in history, particularly when the results of technological trials directly impacted war efforts...At times, the focus of the narrative strays from the women, to a slight detriment of the book's intention...However, the inclusion of direct interviews with the women and the clear passion for their stories make Proving Ground a needed and welcome addition to the shelves of computer history."
"This engaging book is the culmination of her efforts to raise their profile."
"In an engaging narrative in the vein of Hidden Figures, Kleiman shares the background of each of these women as well as how they became a part of a secret U.S."
"because most male-written histories of this incredible invention omitted the crucial role of these women, this book marks the first time they have all received the gigantic credit they deserve."
"Law professor Kleiman recounts in her fantastic debut the vital but overlooked role six women played in the history of computers...In 1942, with the US having joined WWII and men in short supply, the Army hired young women with math backgrounds to program ENIAC to calculate missile trajectories...With no manuals to aid them, Frances Elizabeth Snyder Holberton, Betty Jean Jennings, Kathleen McNulty, Marlyn Wescoff, Frances Bilas, and Ruth Lichterman took the job...Despite harassment and discriminatory treatment, they persevered, and with their success opened up an 'electronic computing revolution' that some 'would soon call..."
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