Computing
Last updated: February 09, 2024
Computers, code and algorithms have become an ubiquitous part of 21st-century society, at the same time revolutionizing our lives and raising deep questions regarding our relationship with machines.
To understand how it all started, our interview with George Dyson explores the very origins of computing in the 19th century and the fantastic progress towards the first Turing-complete machine after World War II. Quantum computing is the leading edge of computer developments.
For those looking to get their hands dirty, our list of the best books to get into computer science and programming, with Ana Bell from MIT, is one of the most popular on the site.
We have expert recommendations on Artificial Intelligence books and books about Data Science.
Finally, if your heart goes to games and virtual worlds, don't miss our selections by Tom Chatfield and Katherine Isbister.
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Computing with Quantum Cats: From Colossus to Qubits
by John Gribbin -
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Quantum Computing From The Ground Up
by Riley Tipton Perry -
3
Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists
Noson Yanofsky and Mirco Mannucci -
4
Quantum Computing since Democritus
by Scott Aaronson -
5
Quantum Computation and Quantum Information
Michael Nielsen and Isaac Chuang
The Best Quantum Computing Books, recommended by Chris Bernhardt
The Best Quantum Computing Books, recommended by Chris Bernhardt
Quantum computing: it sounds more complicated than quantum mechanics, but it isn’t. Mathematician Chris Bernhardt, author of Quantum Computing for Everyone, explains why you need to know about it and which books will help you understand what it’s all about.
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1
Statistical Evidence: A Likelihood Paradigm
by Richard Royall -
2
Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics
by Nathan Yau -
3
Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals
by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic -
4
An Introduction to Statistical Learning: with Applications in R
by Daniela Witten, Gareth James, Robert Tibshirani & Trevor Hastie -
5
Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work
by Nigel Cross
The best books on Data Science, recommended by Roger D. Peng
The best books on Data Science, recommended by Roger D. Peng
From complex techniques only used by academic statisticians, data science has risen to extreme popularity in only a few years. Roger D. Peng, Professor of Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University and founder of one of the largest data science online courses, helps us understand this discipline and recommends the five best books to delve into it.
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Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
by Gerald Jay Sussman, Harold Abelson & Julie Sussman -
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The Algorithm Design Manual
by Steven S. Skiena -
3
The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master
by Andrew Hunt & David Thomas -
4
The Art of Readable Code
by Dustin Boswell & Trevor Foucher -
5
Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace
by Joseph Bizup & Joseph M. Williams
The best books on Computer Science for Data Scientists, recommended by Hadley Wickham
The best books on Computer Science for Data Scientists, recommended by Hadley Wickham
Data science is often said to be built on three pillars: domain expertise, statistics, and programming. Hadley Wickham, Chief Scientist at RStudio and creator of many packages for the R programming language, chooses the best books to help aspiring data scientists build solid computer science fundamentals.
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Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
by Charles Petzold -
2
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
by Robert C. Martin -
3
Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
by Steve McConnell -
4
Algorithms
by Robert Sedgewick & Kevin Wayne -
5
Types and Programming Languages
by Benjamin C. Pierce
The best books on Computer Science and Programming, recommended by Ana Bell
The best books on Computer Science and Programming, recommended by Ana Bell
How do computers work? What is well-crafted code? How do you write an algorithm? Ana Bell, lecturer in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, chooses the best books to learn computer science and programming.
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The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses
by Jesse Schell -
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What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
by James Paul Gee -
3
Communities of Play: Emergent Cultures in Multiplayer Games and Virtual Worlds
by Celia Pearce -
4
Raising the Stakes: E-Sports and the Professionalization of Computer Gaming
by T L Taylor -
5
Ready Player One
by Ernest Cline
The best books on Video Games, recommended by Katherine Isbister
The best books on Video Games, recommended by Katherine Isbister
Video games have never been more popular – or more intricately designed. But we haven’t yet developed the vocabulary to analyse a game’s impact the way we do a film’s, says professor of computational media Katherine Isbister. Here, she chooses five of the best books that explore the art of video game design, and the subcultures that grow up around them.
The best books on Artificial Intelligence, recommended by Calum Chace
It could lead us all to immortality or spell the end of the human race. Author Calum Chace picks the best books on Artificial Intelligence or AI.
The best books on The Origins of Computing, recommended by George Dyson
As we approach the centenary of Alan Turing’s birth, science historian George Dyson looks back at the achievements of wartime code breaking and the “human computers” who enabled our modern age of iPhones and laptops
The best books on Impact of the Information Age, recommended by Nicholas Carr
Is the Internet dividing our attention? Are we so buried in technology that we ignore one another? The technology writer discusses the history and implications of the information age, from the mechanical clock to the iPhone
The best books on Cybersecurity, recommended by Misha Glenny
There’s an unseen, mostly unacknowledged cyber war going on. British journalist Misha Glenny, author of Dark Market, tells us who’s involved, how far it spreads and what could happen if we let it continue unchecked. He picks the best books to get a better handle on cybersecurity.
The best books on Watson, recommended by Stephen Baker
Former BusinessWeek writer recommends five books that deepen our understanding of the science and psychology behind Jeopardy!’s computer champion, Watson