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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