Found in 8 comments on Hacker News
melling · 2019-05-22
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Haven’t read this yet but it’s on my list:
https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Play-Shannon-Invented-Informatio...
This is also a good read:
http://nautil.us/issue/50/emergence/claude-shannon-the-las-v...
dv_dt · 2019-04-23
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This biography on Shannon gives some idea of what it was like in the heyday of Bell Labs. Flamethrowing trumpets are mentioned.
https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Play-Shannon-Invented-Informatio...
pstew · 2019-01-29
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The biography they reference, "A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age", is on sale in the Kindle store right now: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Play-Shannon-Invented-Informatio...
dangoldin · 2018-01-29
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Just yesterday I finished up a biography of Claude Shannon that I recommend to anyone that ones to learn more. It briefly covers this as well as ton of his other "toys" - https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Play-Shannon-Invented-Informatio...
anttipoi · 2018-01-12
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Tip: Claude Shannon's new biography [https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Play-Shannon-Invented-Informatio...]
is an enjoyable read.
shady-lady · 2017-08-28
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Waiting for kindle version to drop on Amazon UK (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Play-Shannon-Invented-Informat...)
How much do the rights actually cost? As in, is it feasible for me to purchase these rights and sell Kindle edition myself?
hvass · 2017-07-21
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There's a new biography on him, A Mind at Play
https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Play-Shannon-Invented-Informatio...
that talks about a similar computer at MIT. I find all the pre transistor computation really interesting. Shannon was doing some really early work on what was, at the time, thought of as AI. Putting a mouse through a maze with movable walls. All with just circuits, no CPU. The circuits were not fixed, they had some branching based on phone switch tech (IIRC).