We, Programmers: A Chronicle of Coders from Ada to AI (Robert C. Martin Series)

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The Journey of Programming and Its Pioneers: From the Birth of Code to the Rise of AI

In We, Programmers, software legend Robert C. Martin–“Uncle Bob”–dives deep into the world of programming, exploring the lives of the groundbreaking pioneers who built the foundation of modern computing. From Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace to Alan Turing, Grace Hopper, and Dennis Ritchie, Martin shines a light on the figures whose brilliance and perseverance changed the world.

This memoir-infused narrative provides a rich human history filled with technical insights for developers, examining the coding breakthroughs that shaped computing at the bit and byte level. By connecting these technical achievements with the human stories behind them, Martin gives readers a rare glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of the people who made modern technology possible. Depression, failure, and ridicule–these pioneers faced it all, and their stories intertwine with the evolution of computing itself as the field evolved from its humble beginnings to the cloud-based AIs of today. With the rise of AI, Martin also explores how this technology is transforming the future of programming and the ethical challenges that come with it.

Notable topics include

Understanding programming’s roots and how they shaped today’s tech landscapeThe human side of coding pioneers–what drove them, and what they overcameKey programming breakthroughs, from the early days of assembly to the rise of object-oriented languagesThe pivotal role World War II played in advancing computer scienceInsights and predictions regarding the ethical considerations surrounding AI and the future of programming

For programmers, coders, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of people and machines, this guide to the history, humanity, and technology behind the code that powers our world today is a fascinating and essential read.

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From the Publisher

From the Preface of “We Programmers”

“I am about to tell you the story of how it all began. It’s a twisty-turny tale of the lives and challenges of some remarkable people, the remarkable times in which they lived, and the remarkable machines they mastered.”

— Robert C. “Uncle Bob” Martin

Chapter Titles

Part I: Setting the Stage

Chapter 1: Who Are We?

Part II: The Giants

Chapter 2: Babbage: The First Computer Engineer

Chapter 3: Hilbert, Turing, and Von Neumann: The First Computer Architects

Chapter 4: Grace Hopper: The First Software Engineer

Chapter 5: John Backus: The First High-Level Language

Chapter 6: Edsger Dijkstra: The First Computer Scientist

Chapter 7: Nygaard and Dahl: The First OOPL

Chapter 8: John Kemeny: The First “Everyman’s” Language–BASIC

Chapter 9: Judith Allen

Chapter 10: Thompson, Ritchie, and Kernighan

Part III: The Knee of the Curve

Chapter 11: The Sixties

Chapter 12: The Seventies

Chapter 13: The Eighties

Chapter 14: The Nineties

Chapter 15: The Millennium

Part IV: The Future

Chapter 16: Languages

Chapter 17: AI

Chapter 18: Hardware

Chapter 19: The World Wide Web

Chapter 20: Programming

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Addison-Wesley Professional
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 30, 2024
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0135344263
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0135344262
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.86 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.96 x 9.13 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ Robert C. Martin Series
Best Sellers Rank: #155,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Ada Programming Language #59 in Computer Programming Languages
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