#6: Katie Hafner & Matthew Lyon, Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet

[kareila]

This was the type of highly technical origin story I wanted and didn't get from Hackers. Although this book does provide a good overview of the key figures involved in founding the Internet, their personalities never overshadow their accomplishments. By focusing primarily on the creation and evolution of the ARPANET, the story being told has a clear beginning, middle, and end. And unlike the other computer history books I've read lately, it doesn't feel dated, despite having been published in 1996. My one quibble is that it would have benefited from a clearly mapped timeline for reference.