Innovations in technology: 21st century Innovations (Essay Sample)

Name:
Course:
Instructor:
Date:
21st century Innovations
Good afternoon? None of the 21 century ground-breaking technological innovations has received as much acclaim and profound influence in today's world as much as the invention of digital computer. Similar to all major technological and social discoveries, computer invention was made to happen, not by impersonal processes but by people. Nathan Ensmenger's The Computer Boys Take Over delves on the evolution of technical specialist aligned to the computer gadget and their meteoric takeover in almost all spheres of modern life. The technical specialists aligned to the computer have assumed over corporations, governments and the technological life. Unfortunately, the radical transition was not a roller coaster ride for them but one filled with radical opposition and criticism as the society embraced information technology. This is perhaps, because they assimilated every sphere of life be it society, government, politics and corporations.
The author, Nathan Ensmenger, lectures at the Indiana University's school of Computing and Informatics. His academia reaches the level of Associate Professor. Therefore, as an experienced “computer teacher” Ensmenger presents a formidable profile for one who can uncover the subject and make it as interesting even to a novice. He tracks the history of computers unleashing software development over the years covering gender, labor and professionalization (Nathan, 137). Fulfilling the obvious gap and longstanding challenge in unraveling computer history, Nathan skillfully adopts interesting and critically important themes in the past of science and technology.
The masterful presentation and simplification of technological jargons and vocabulary qualifies the book as a ‘top notch bed time read'. Hey, unlike other technically complex in terms technology books, Nathan's book is a top knack that would be utterly interesting and captivating even to our grannies. Nathan trails the lives of leading pioneers in computing as they strived for an organizational recognition and professionalism legitimacy opportunity (Nathan, 138). His description of “software engineering” and “computer science” terminologies make a compelling introduction in top computing.
Reading through the book, I was thrilled, appalled and challenged. Evidently, the technical, social and business dynamics in the computing universe covers as wide a berth as the participating professionals. Nonetheless, it did not escape my eye that Nathan Ensmenger tackled all this tactfully keeping the book brief but detailed. For instance, Ensmenger trails and recounts the computing history after World War II till 1972. He keeps the narration detailed and simple and yet manages to keep the book brief.
Recounting the history of programmers, I was jubilant to note that the earliest programmers were females especially at a time when the society was male dominated. However, my joy was short lived and I despised the corporate managers of the time. Apparently, the programmers were a bad taste for these heads and they relegated them to subordinate levels in the organizational hierarchy. I considered the figure heads as brute, indolent and despicable people, too greedy to envision women power and emancipation. Evidently, they feared that they women would takeover their jobs. Ensmenger states categorically that the corporate heads, “came to fear and di...