Description
This is a book about the life of Charles Babbage, a mathematician and engineer. He writes about his family, childhood, and formative years studying at Cambridge. He also writes about his scientific career, including some of the things he is most famous for, such as his calculating machines. He also writes about other topics, such as street nuisances and wit. This book gives an intimate portrait of the life of one of Britain's most influential inventors.
The mathematician and engineer Charles Babbage (1791-1871) is best remembered for his 'calculating machines', which are considered the forerunner of modern computers. Over the course of his life he wrote a number of books based on his scientific investigations, but in this volume, published in 1864, Babbage writes in a more personal vein. He points out at the beginning of the work that it 'does not aspire to the name of autobiography', though the chapters sketch out the contours of his life, beginning with his family, his childhood and formative years studying at Cambridge, and moving through various episodes in his scientific career. However, the work also diverges into his observations on other topics, as indicated by chapter titles such as 'Street Nuisances' and 'Wit'. Babbage's colourful recollections give an intimate portrait of the life of one of Britain's most influential inventors.
Related Products
