FROM ABACUS TO AI

The long story of human calculation

How does a notch on a bone become a camera that recognizes your face? From Abacus to AI follows the simple, surprising steps — notation, tools, and tricks — that turned counting into thinking machines. Clear, witty, and classroom-ready, JD Arden walks curious teens and adults through abacuses, mechanical calculators, punch cards, silicon chips, and the modern algorithms that run the Internet, all without requiring a math degree.

Each chapter ties method to machine to social impact, with short classroom experiments you can try with a pencil, a spreadsheet, or a cheap microcontroller. You’ll learn to spot hype, tinker with the ideas yourself, and ask the right civic questions about bias, power, and energy. Read this if you want to understand where today’s AI actually came from — and where it might go next.