Where Wizards Stay Up Late cover art

Where Wizards Stay Up Late

The Origins of the Internet

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Where Wizards Stay Up Late

By: Katie Hafner, Matthew Lyon
Narrated by: Mark Douglas Nelson
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About this listen

Twenty-five years ago, it didn't exist. Today, 20 million people worldwide are surfing the Net. Where Wizards Stay Up Late is the exciting story of the pioneers responsible for creating the most talked about, most influential, and most far-reaching communications breakthrough since the invention of the telephone.

In the 1960s, when computers where regarded as mere giant calculators, J.C.R. Licklider at MIT saw them as the ultimate communications devices. With Defense Department funds, he and a band of visionary computer whizzes began work on a nationwide, interlocking network of computers. Taking listeners behind the scenes, Where Wizards Stay Up Late captures the hard work, genius, and happy accidents of their daring, stunningly successful venture.

©1996 Katie Hafner (P)2012 Katie Hafner Americas United States
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I needed to listen to this to understand a huge gab in my knowledge of computing. Would recommend this to all who need to understand the nuts and bolts of initial computing.

Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant

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Well researched and written history of the net. I especially liked hearing of all the different people involved and each of their contributions.

Great insight into the beginnings of the internet.

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A sound and likeable description of the early days of networking computers. It does lack the innate tension of books like Soul of a New Machine. But that's just the reality of the story.

the kind of book well suited to the medium

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