The Dream Machine: J.C.R. Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal
The story of the man who instigated the work that led to the internet―and shifted our understanding of what computers could be.
"The Dream Machine: J.C.R. Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal" by M. Mitchell Waldrop is an in-depth exploration of the life and work of J.C.R. Licklider, a psychologist and computer scientist whose vision and influence laid the groundwork for the personal computing and internet revolutions.
In the book, Waldrop chronicles the life of Licklider, often referred to as "Lick," from his early days as a psychology professor to his transformative work in computing. Licklider's interdisciplinary background in psychology and engineering propelled his groundbreaking ideas that computers could be more than just number-crunching machines; they could be interactive tools augmenting human intelligence.
Waldrop frames Licklider's role within the larger narrative of the evolution of computing. Licklider's involvement with the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), later known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is a central theme in the book. During his time at ARPA, Licklider funded several researchers and projects, which were instrumental in the development of time-sharing (multiple users accessing a single computer simultaneously), graphical user interfaces, the ARPANET, and eventually, the Internet.
The book is rich with anecdotes and personal accounts of many figures who were key in the computer revolution, giving readers a sense of the multidimensional and collaborative nature of this groundbreaking period.
"The Dream Machine" also delves into the intellectual and theoretical underpinnings of Licklider's vision. He believed in the concept of a "man-computer symbiosis," a cooperative interaction between humans and machines. This idea drove his support for projects focusing on interaction rather than just computation, leading to more personal and user-friendly technologies.
In conclusion, "The Dream Machine" by M. Mitchell Waldrop offers an exhaustive and engaging account of J.C.R. Licklider's life, his groundbreaking ideas, and his tremendous impact on the development of personal computing and the internet. The book is not just a biography but also an insightful chronicle of a revolutionary era in technology.