Jacquard's Web: How A Hand-Loom Led To The Birth Of The Information Age (2004) - Plot & Excerpts
Essinger's book perplexes me. It is both gripping and cringe-inducing. At heart Jacquard's Web is a history of the modern computer. But this heart has some serious pedantry and would-be elegance clotting its arteries. If the preceding metaphor feels lackluster, this book might scrape at your nerves. It reads more like a high school history essay than a non-fiction publication from the hallowed Oxford Press. When Essinger isn't gushing over an early precursor to the iMac , he is repeating his much-favored comparison of modern computers to 19th century silk looms or concocting bizarre metaphors from dicto simpliciter fallacies. Near the end, he compares modern computer theory to a plot device in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. At best, this is a personally annotated research diary. At worst, it's a stuffy volume, 100 pages too long and dying for some greater objectivity.To his credit, Essinger does effectively share some solid history. He demonstrates through historical exposition the intellectual connections between four men: Jean-Marie Jacquard, Charles Babbage, Herman Hollerith and Howard Aiken. Each figure is given equal attention and is placed neatly enough into historical content.That's the sum of the positive, though. Mysteriously, within the final thirty pages Essinger abruptly ceases explaining any of our modern day electronic components and uses an out-of-place bulleted list to summarize exceptional developments in information technology during the 20th century. Nowhere else do such lists appear, and the sudden disappearance of mechanical explication left me wondering whether the author simply failed to flesh out an outline before press time.Honestly, this could make a great monologue for a History channel documentary. There are points where I truly expect to see a line break and "CUT TO COMMERCIAL" inserted underneath. As a book, however, it left me unfulfilled.
First of all I have to say: this book should have been titled "The Information Loom". Or "The Information Web", or "The Binary Tapestry", or something like that. Joseph-Marie Jacquard is important, but not that important he dwarfed everyone else in page count. Indeed, he was only alive until the fourth chapter. (Being about history the chapters are chronological)Other than that, though, the book is engaging and well-written. It follows the history of computing by focusing on four men. Jacquard, the inventor of punching cards for the loom; Charles Babbage, who wanted to build analog computer; Herman Hollerith who eventually founded IBM; Howard Aiken who built Harvard Mk. I, one of the first computers ever built.It should be noted, however, that the definition of "very first computer" is contentious, so we'll leave it at that.I find the stories entertaining. The Jacquard's part was charming; so was Babbage's. These early parts capture the "life and times" well. The ones about the Americans less so, but that may be just me.Incindentally, the book suffers trying to link every topic to "Jacquard's Web": how everything discussed is owed to him. It is true, I admit, but after some time it feels rather forced and tedious.In the end, a little bit uneven. 3 stars.
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