As much about the history of computing technology as it is about the life of Grace Hopper, Beyer gracefully balances the two subjects, and articulately demonstrates the complex interplay between them. The notion of distributed inventing--a group-oriented, collaborative work method that Hopper found congenial and that characterized the invention of computing--is highlighted.
Although Hopper’s life is the main focus of the book, it is not the only focus. The book places as much emphasis on the events of the early days of electronic computing as it does on the events and achievements in Hopper’s life. Its structure effectively mimics the distributive method that Hopper and her colleagues so vigorously and successfully embraced.
The opening chapter, “The Myth of Amazing Grace,” illustrates the balancing act between biography and the history of technology, and reveals its benefits and deficits. The chapter is equally divided between explaining, and then dispelling, the myth of Grace Hopper and discussing the art of biography and the sources consulted. The two are balanced, but not integrated. Beyer states his purpose--to reveal a more authentic Grace Hopper than that found in the glamorous and dramatic image of college professor turned Naval officer turned computer pioneer--and then discusses philosophical issues raised by technological innovation, and delves into the nature of the materials used to compose the book. Often in the book, when other topics or personalities appear, Grace Hopper disappears.
The following chapter, “The Rebirth of Grace Murray Hooper,” opens with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the most important event in her life. At the time, she was 35 years old, married, held the first doctoral degree in mathematics granted to a woman by Yale University, and was a tenured professor of mathematics at Vassar College. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, she quit her position at Vassar, divorced, and joined the Navy. Beyer compellingly makes the case of the centrality of the attack in Hopper’s life.
However, he does not devote much space to explaining the motivation for these major life shifts, nor to her life before the attack. More analysis of these events and other later biographical events, such as her alcoholism and suicidal ideation, would have been helpful. A major deficit of the book is its insistence on discussing Hopper’s professional achievements, at the expense of biographical analysis. The book does not humanize Hopper or deepen our perception of her.
The rest of the book devotes chapters to the major technological concerns that were the object of Hopper’s incisive intelligence and professional intensity and diligence. These include her work on the Harvard Mark 1 with Howard Aiken, her career at Remington Rand, and the invention of COBOL. The chapters on the Mark 1, the Harvard computational laboratory, and the early computing community provide details regarding early programming techniques. Beyer effectively conveys the arduousness of creating operating codes, subroutines, and software libraries, and provides capsule biographies of Howard Aiken and John von Neumann, as he relates the tale of creating the first electronic computers and the stored program concept.
In addition to the human actors, Beyer identifies corporate players, such as the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, Remington Rand, and IBM. Rather than focusing on business conflicts, Beyer stresses the fact that corporate character influenced the development of computer technology. For example, Remington Rand’s rigid corporate hierarchy and its lumbering approach to customer service contrasted sharply with Eckert-Mauchly’s more free-form and dynamic environment. While Remington Rand marginalized Grace Hopper and computers, they were central for Eckert-Mauchly. The book concludes with a discussion of distributed invention as exemplified by Hopper’s development of COBOL. Beyer cogently outlines the resistance to programming standards, the various corporate stakes involved in adopting COBOL, and its final triumph.
The book will appeal to the general reader who has some technical background, because it avoids jargon and academic ponderousness. The reader who wants a detailed explanation of technical concepts, such as the difference between compiling and interpreting, will be disappointed. Hopper’s professional life is treated insightfully, and its relation to the development of computers is energetically presented.
