The Man Who Knew Too Much - Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer PDF
Preview The Man Who Knew Too Much - Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer
V 'ADVANCE UNCORRECTED PROOFS - fj R £ A T Pleasedo not quote forpublication without checkingagainst thefinishedbook. Discoveries DAVID LEAVITT The ManWho KnewToo Much AlanTuringandthe Invention ofthe Computer Thestoryof thepersecutedgeniuswho helpedcreatethemoderncomputer. The Man To SOLVEONEofthegroatmathematicalproblems Who Knew ofhisday,AlanTuringproposedanimaginarypro jj Thh Man grammablecalculatingmachine.Buttheideaofactu Who Knew allyproducinga"Turingmachine"didnotcrystallize Too Much Too Much untilheandhisbrilliantBletchley Parkcolleagues builtdevices tocracktheNazis'Enigmacode,thus AUhI'arfaftmJ i lurtntita ensuring theAllies'victoryinWorldWarII.Inso */theCtmpiiier doing,Turingbecameachampionofartificialintelli gence, formulating thefamous (andstillunbeaten) TuringTestthatchallengesourideasofhumancon Alan Turing and sciousness. ButTuring's postwar computer-building wascutshortwhen,asanopenlygaymaninatime DAVID whenhomosexualitywasofficiallyillegalinEngland, LEAVITT the Invention hewasapprehendedbytheauthoritiesandsentenced COa "treatment"thatamounted to chemicalcastra of the Computer tion,leadingtohissuicide. DAVID LEAVITT is the author ofseveral Witlianovelist'ssensitivit)',DavidLeavittportrays novels, including mostrecently TheBcJyof Turing inallhishumanity—his eccentricities, his JmahBcyi,andstorycollections.Heteaches brilliance,hisfatalcandor—whileelegantlyexplain creativewritingattheUniversityofFlorida. inghisworkanditsimplications. Gainesville,wherehelives. ADVANCE READING COPY (cid:127) Authortour:Seattle.SanFrancisco NOT FOR SALE (cid:127) Majorreview attention (cid:127) Nationalmediainterviews $2195hardcover(Can.$32.00) ISBN0-393-05236-2/5'A'X8" 6illustrations/288pagesISCIENCE BOOKS W.W. NORTON&COMPANY,INC. •500FifthAvenue, NewYork, NewYork10110 ATLAS NOR ON BOOKS (212)354-5500 FAX(212) 869-0856
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