Stone to Silicon

A History of Technology and Computing

Ever wonder how we got from the abacus to AI?


From the dawn of computation with tally sticks to Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, Ada Lovelace’s visionary algorithms, and the punch-card revolution of IBM, this book traces the winding path that led us to modern computing. Along the way, you’ll meet eccentric inventors, brilliant mathematicians, forgotten pioneers, and everyday “human computers” whose quiet labor powered astronomical discoveries and wartime victories. With lively storytelling and witty asides, journey through the history of technology, computing, and human ingenuity.

Packed with anecdotes, historical breakthroughs, and colorful personalities, Stone to Silicon: A History of Technology and Computing brings to life the dramatic shifts of the mainframe era, the rise of minicomputers, the dominance of IBM, the arrival of programming languages, and the explosion of personal computing. You’ll see how innovations like the Jacquard loom, ENIAC, UNIVAC, and Cray supercomputers paved the way for the internet, the smartphone revolution, and the AI-powered world we live in today.

But this book isn’t just about machines—it’s about the people behind them. From Grace Hopper and her legendary “bug” to Katherine Johnson and the women of NASA, from Seymour Cray’s supercomputing genius to the Navajo women hand-weaving early computer memory, these stories reveal the human side of computing history. Their creativity and persistence shaped the technologies we use daily.

Whether you’re a tech professional, a student of computer science, a history buff, or just someone who wonders how in the world we got from pebbles to pixels, this book delivers insight, entertainment, and plenty of “aha” moments.

Gen AI created and narrated

Obviously heavy Gen AI usage on content. Was excited for this given the authors but couldn’t get through the first 45 min without hearing the same Gen AI slop phrasing. Gen AI narrator also didn’t help.