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edriessen's review against another edition
5.0
Lovely memoir if you have some experience in software development and sometimes wonder about the impact the internet and modern apps have on society. Or you're just curious to read something a bit more philosophical about the software world.
martysuter's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting perspective from Ullman on the last 25+ years in technology development, programming, and everything Internet but have to admit I was a little disappointed that her essays veered off into meandering personal offerings, especially the long description of her relationship with her cat. I respect her views on the seedy underbelly of programming and where the Internet/tech startups have taken us--the divide of haves and have nots continues to widen, especially when it comes to career opportunities in coding (dominated by white/Asian men certainly) and general access to technology. However, overall can only give this one 3 stars but maybe that's on me since I don't like overly negative stories, especially when they aren't well structured. Book lived up to its billing, though, as a personal history.
quietdomino's review against another edition
3.0
Ullman is exactly as mad as you think she ought to be about everything.
weltenkreuzer's review against another edition
4.0
Sehr interessante Einblicke in die Tech-Kultur und ihre Schattenseiten.
hallmira's review
4.0
The parts of this book relating to the titular topic (Ullman's personal experiences throughout the growth of the technology industry) were captivating and insightful.
As a young female software developer, reading this book felt like finally hearing about the cultural history I inherited when I joined the field. While a lot of "tech history" books breathlessly focus on the legends of the field, taking either adoring or abhoring gaze (Jobs! Gates! $$$$ from garages!!!), Ullman's history is refreshingly thoughtful and human-focused, at once an insider and an observer of the zeitgeist.
Only 4 stars because there some long-winded musings on consciousness that lost me.
As a young female software developer, reading this book felt like finally hearing about the cultural history I inherited when I joined the field. While a lot of "tech history" books breathlessly focus on the legends of the field, taking either adoring or abhoring gaze (Jobs! Gates! $$$$ from garages!!!), Ullman's history is refreshingly thoughtful and human-focused, at once an insider and an observer of the zeitgeist.
Only 4 stars because there some long-winded musings on consciousness that lost me.
honorsenglishdropout's review against another edition
5.0
"And down under all those piles of stuff, the secret was written: we build our computers the way we build our cities – over time, without a plan, on top of ruins."
keight's review against another edition
5.0
After reading Ellen Ullman’s novel By Blood, I’ve been meaning to get to her memoir Close to the Machine, but before I could get around to that, she published another book centered around her experiences as a programmer, from before and during the early years of the internet. These essays were written from that inchoate era of the 1990s to today and build on each other excellently. Ullman has both a personal and critical perspective on how technology has changed nearly every aspect of our lives, at least for those of us with access to the internet. Read more on my booklog
lilylikesbooks's review
4.0
Only not 5/5 because my pea brain couldn’t comprehend everything. The intellect that Ellen Ullman possesses is astounding