­
Review of Ada's Algorithm: How Lord Byron's Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age — ICT & Computing in Education
  • Front Page
  • Search
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Menu

ICT & Computing in Education

Articles on education technology and related topics
  • Front Page
  • Search
  • Newsletters
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
  • Info
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Ada's Algorithm

Ada's Algorithm

Review of Ada's Algorithm: How Lord Byron's Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age

January 4, 2016

As this year is the bicentenary of Ada Lovelace's birth, I thought it appropriate to read this book. It's a biography of Ada, and highlights the astonishing grasp of the concept of computer programming before computers had been invented. In a nutshell, Charles Babbage saw his Analytical Engine as an automated calculator that would be able to work with fractions (in effect), but didn't really get beyond that. Lovelace, on the other hand, reasoned that if a machine could manipulate numbers, then it would be able to manipulate other kinds of symbols too. She even suggested that music could be encoded by the machine.

Ada's Algorithm, by James Essinger, goes into minute detail, not just of Ada's life but of her parents' lives before she was born. It is, as it happens, relevant, but I did find the detail somewhat irritating. I read it on a Kindle, and it was not until I reached the 48% mark that the author started to address Ada's appreciation of what Babbage's machine might be programmed to do.

While the amount of detail earlier in the book is, I feel, an obstacle to enjoyment, the detail once we get on to Ada's relationship with the Analytical Engine is absolutely riveting.

Reading the almost line by line account of Ada's notes on the article she translated (her notes were longer than the article itself), I could really appreciate the description often applied to Ada Lovelace, that of being the world's first computer programmer.

Three thoughts struck me while reading the book:

First, a sense of outrage that in her day women were thought to be too fragile, both physically and mentally, to study maths and science. I know that we're supposed to take into account the fact or the possibility that people in those days weren't as enlightened as we are now, but I think that's a load of hogwash quite frankly. There are pompous, misogynistic and ignorant people in any age. The scandal is that 200 years ago that was thought to be acceptable.

Second, I've read several books about the development of programming or its variations, such as about the Enigma machine at Bletchley Park, and Ada Lovelace is often either not mentioned at all or just mentioned in a footnote. It makes me feel – and I realise that this sounds ridiculous but I'll say it anyway – it makes me feel angry on her behalf.

Third, it really is a jaw-dropping thought that we might have developed the computer more than a century before we did, had Babbage allowed Lovelace to take over the PR and management associated with the Analytical machine. Mind you, I am not sure that is a realistic idea, because in those days each part had to be made by hand, and there were thousands of them. Perhaps, though, computing as a practical science might have been established long before it eventually was.

This is definitely a book worth buying, even if you decide to skip almost the first half of the book.

Star rating: 3/5

Click here to buy it.

Please note that the above link is an Amazon affiliate link.

This review was first published in the Digital Education newsletter.

Digital Education

If you found this review interesting or useful, please consider subscribing to Digital Education, which is a free newsletter. Every issue features resources, news, views and reviews, longer-than-usual articles and guest contributions. The most recent edition also featured two competitions and other good stuff, plus you get access to some free subscriber-only resources.


In Reviews Tags Book review, book reviews, reviews, Ada Lovelace, Ada's Algorithm
← Review of Grammarly -- and a competition25 useful resources for teachers →
Recent book reviews
Backlist: The Written World
Backlist: The Written World

Writing was invented ‘only’ a few thousand years ago. It’s a fascinating story.

Read More →
Backlist: What I'm reading: Bounce
Backlist: What I'm reading: Bounce

What does it take to become an expert? And what can the Computing teacher do about it?

Read More →
Backlist: The Fourth Education Revolution
Backlist: The Fourth Education Revolution

The title of this book invites curiosity: what were the other three ‘revolutions?

Read More →
A book review for your English department colleagues perhaps
A book review for your English department colleagues perhaps

Some of these stories are so richly told, it can almost seem as though you’re right there with him.

Read More →
Review: Pen Names
Review: Pen Names

OK, so this has nothing to do with education technology, but we all read (I hope!). A very interesting examination of the pen names some authors have adopted, and why.

Read More →
Review: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History
Review: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History

There's a really interesting section in this book about how ceramic storage of data and information is probably the most likely medium to stand the test of time.

Read More →
A book review for your biology colleagues perhaps
A book review for your biology colleagues perhaps

The subject under discussion here is how human physiology has developed in different ways, in response to different conditions around the world.

Read More →
Review: Social Media for Academics
Review: Social Media for Academics

This book is very readable, and if I sound surprised that is because it’s not always true of academics!

Read More →
Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example
Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example

For the time being, this book is free in Kindle format.

Read More →
Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too
Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too

Despite the relative paucity of immediately obvious National Curriculum links, teachers will find several of sections of this book to be highly engaging.

Read More →
Dig+Ed+Banner.jpg

Contact us

Privacy

Cookies

Terms and conditions

This website is powered by Squarespace

(c) Terry Freedman All Rights Reserved