Skip to Content
We, Programmers: A Chronicle of Coders from Ada to AI
book

We, Programmers: A Chronicle of Coders from Ada to AI

by Robert C. Martin
December 2024
Intermediate to advanced
480 pages
10h 31m
English
Addison-Wesley Professional

Overview

The Journey of Programming and Its Pioneers: From the Birth of Code to the Rise of AI

In We, Programmers, software legend Robert C. Martin--"Uncle Bob"--dives deep into the world of programming, exploring the lives of the groundbreaking pioneers who built the foundation of modern computing. From Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace to Alan Turing, Grace Hopper, and Dennis Ritchie, Martin shines a light on the figures whose brilliance and perseverance changed the world.

This memoir-infused narrative provides a rich human history filled with technical insights for developers, examining the coding breakthroughs that shaped computing at the bit and byte level. By connecting these technical achievements with the human stories behind them, Martin gives readers a rare glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of the people who made modern technology possible. Depression, failure, and ridicule--these pioneers faced it all, and their stories intertwine with the evolution of computing itself as the field evolved from its humble beginnings to the cloud-based AIs of today. With the rise of AI, Martin also explores how this technology is transforming the future of programming and the ethical challenges that come with it.

Notable topics include

  • Understanding programming's roots and how they shaped today's tech landscape

  • The human side of coding pioneers--what drove them, and what they overcame

  • Key programming breakthroughs, from the early days of assembly to the rise of object-oriented languages

  • The pivotal role World War II played in advancing computer science

  • Insights and predictions regarding the ethical considerations surrounding AI and the future of programming

For programmers, coders, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of people and machines, this guide to the history, humanity, and technology behind the code that powers our world today is a fascinating and essential read.

Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

.

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.

Read now

Unlock full access

More than 5,000 organizations count on O’Reilly

AirBnbBlueOriginElectronic ArtsHomeDepotNasdaqRakutenTata Consultancy Services

QuotationMarkO’Reilly covers everything we've got, with content to help us build a world-class technology community, upgrade the capabilities and competencies of our teams, and improve overall team performance as well as their engagement.
Julian F.
Head of Cybersecurity
QuotationMarkI wanted to learn C and C++, but it didn't click for me until I picked up an O'Reilly book. When I went on the O’Reilly platform, I was astonished to find all the books there, plus live events and sandboxes so you could play around with the technology.
Addison B.
Field Engineer
QuotationMarkI’ve been on the O’Reilly platform for more than eight years. I use a couple of learning platforms, but I'm on O'Reilly more than anybody else. When you're there, you start learning. I'm never disappointed.
Amir M.
Data Platform Tech Lead
QuotationMarkI'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.
Mark W.
Embedded Software Engineer

You might also like

Generative AI in Action

Generative AI in Action

Amit Bahree
Grokking Algorithms

Grokking Algorithms

Aditya Bhargava
Prompt Engineering for Generative AI

Prompt Engineering for Generative AI

James Phoenix, Mike Taylor
AI Engineering

AI Engineering

Chip Huyen

Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9780135344248