Close to the Machine

Close to the Machine Synopsis

Close to the Machine: Technophilia and Its Discontents, Ellen Ullman's cult classic memoir of the world of computers in the 1980s and early 1990s, is an insight of a world we rarely see up close."e;Astonishing... impossible to put down"e;San Francisco Chronicle"e;We see the seduction at the heart of programming: embedded in the hijinks and hieroglyphics are the esoteric mysteries of the human mind"e;WiredClose to the Machinehas become a cult classic:

• Ellen Ullman&apos
• s humane, insightful, and beautifully written memoir explores the ever-complicating intersections between people and technology
• the strange ecstasies of programming
• the messiness of life and the artful efficiency of code. It is a deeply personal, prescient account of working at the forefront of computing. With a new introduction by Jaron Lanier, author ofYou Are Not a Gadget"e
• By turns hilarious and sobering, this slim gem of a book chronicles the Silicon Valley way of life... full of delicately profound insights into work, money, love, and the search for a life that matters"e
• NewsweekEllen Ullman&apos
• sClose to the Machine, a memoir of her time as a software engineer during the early years of the internet revolution, became a cult classic and established her as a writer of considerable talent
• with her second book,The Bug, she became an acclaimed and vital novelist
• By Bloodis her third. All three titles are published in the UK by Pushkin Press. Her essays and opinion pieces have been widely published in venues such asHarper&apos
• s,The New York Times,Salon, andWired. She lives in San Francisco