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Visionaries, Rebels and Machines

The story of humanity’s extraordinary journey from electrification to cloudification

Jamie Dobson

$69.95   $59.49

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English
Right Book Press
19 June 2025
The electrifying story behind technology’s greatest breakthroughs.

From the first sparks of electrification to the dawn of artificial intelligence, Visionaries, Rebels and Machines is a rip-roaring adventure through the history of technology.

It reveals how curiosity, ingenuity, bold breakthroughs and pure chance have driven progress, leading to the artificial intelligence, automation and cloud computing that’s reshaping our world today. It’s not just about how we got here, but also where we’re heading. Understanding this evolution helps us make informed decisions, seize opportunities and stay ahead in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Discover the domino effect of innovation – those unexpected connections and coincidences that have triggered ideas, innovation, experimentation and technological revolution. And, along the way, meet an eccentric cast of fascinating characters that include a video-rental entrepreneur, a bookseller-turned-tech titan, scientists electrifying frogs and a teenage cybercriminal.

With wit, insight and a touch of irreverence, industry expert Jamie Dobson tells a gripping tale of risk-takers and revolutionaries, taking you on a whirlwind ride through tech’s surprising history that’s bigger, bolder and more astonishing than you ever imagined.
By:  
Imprint:   Right Book Press
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 156mm, 
Weight:   595g
ISBN:   9781917490078
ISBN 10:   1917490070
Pages:   320
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Part 1: From the Enlightenment to enlightenment 1. A digital and binary system of communication 2. The right call 3. The invention factory Part 2: Electrons and nuclear bombs 4. The peculiar birth of a peculiar company 5. The computer 6. The wasp and the fig tree Part 3: Those who knew the score 7. The Alto and the internet 8. The rise of utility computing 9. The dramatic fall of utility computing Part 4: Cloudification 10. The magical computer store 11. Saturday night at the movies 12. A womb with a view 13. The computer as a community  14. Talent density 15. The computer and the company 16. The secret life of teams Part 5: The enchanted loom 17. The end of the world (of work) as we know it 18. Only the paranoid will survive the coming wave 19. Unintended consequences 

Jamie Dobson is the co-founder of Container Solutions. A first encounter with a BBC computer and BASIC at the age of nine launched his lifelong passion for programming and software development. In 2000, Jamie graduated from the University of Hull with a degree in Computer Science and in 2003 obtained a master's degree from the University of Edinburgh were he learnt to program the supercomputers that foreshadowed the world to come. Widely recognised as a leader specialising in building high performance teams and companies, Jamie nowadays helps executive teams to succeed with the cloud. When not faffing about with computers and the people who program them, Jamie lives in Greenwich, London, where he works in peace in his writer's studio.

Reviews for Visionaries, Rebels and Machines: The story of humanity’s extraordinary journey from electrification to cloudification

'An entertaining romp through the history of technology.' -Adrian Cockcroft - Former Cloud Architect at Netflix and AWS 'Jamie Dobson has pulled off the impossible—making the history of computing feel like a heist movie.' -Mark Coleman, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist at NetBox Labs 'More than just a book on tech history, this is an enjoyable journey through the failure-fueled cultures that powered innovation, ultimately leading to cloud and AI.' -Daniel Vaughn, Director, Software Engineering, Mastercard 'Essential reading for anyone curious about how we got here, and where we’re headed next.' -Ian Miell - Partner at Container Solutions 'A fascinating look back at the origins of our modern computing environment: how the technology evolved and, perhaps more importantly, how the people involved made it happen.' -Steve Freeman, Principal Engineer, Gousto 'A captivating tale of humanity’s tech evolution—from electrification to AI—told with brilliance and clarity.' -Jan Wiersma, technology executive and investor. 'An eye opening story that highlights the power of trial and error and how amazing progress can come through failure by learning from it.' -Anne Currie, Founder of Strategically Green and author of Building Green Software 'If you care about innovation, leadership, or the impact of technology on society, this book belongs on your shelf.' -Jonny Williams, Chief Digital Adviser, Red Hat and Author of Delivery Management: Enabling Teams to Deliver Value 'An insightful journey through the history of cloud and AI technologies as well as the people who made things happen.' -Chris Swan, Co-host, Tech Debt Burndown Podcast 'Technology's revolutionary journey, artfully rendered.' -Simon Wardley, Creator of Wardley Maps 'Told with insightful storytelling, this book reveals how the pioneers of innovation have shaped not only the tools we use, but the very fabric of our society.' -Philippe Ensarguet, VP Software Engineering, Orange


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