Read Me: The Books that Inspired the Computing Revolution

About this episode

This episode discusses the influential books that shaped the computing revolution with historian W. Patrick McCray.

How can you truly grasp what is happening in computing? One powerful answer has endured: “Read a book!” In this conversation with historian W. Patrick McCray, we learn how the most influential books in computing didn’t just explain technology but also ignited the computer revolution. CHM curator, David C. Brock, moderates. This conversation was recorded on January 20, 2026, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

People in this episode

Host: David C. Brock

Guest: W. Patrick McCray

Topics covered

• computing history
• influential books
• computer revolution
• technology
• historical context

Keywords

• computing
• books
• revolution
• history
• technology
• W. Patrick McCray
• David C. Brock

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Computer History Museum

Places: Mountain View, California

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