Following the introductory part is a pair of pages for each of the numbers from 1 to 100 (including the primes). A dot pattern, a tree diagram, and a figure (or a compilation of figures) appear for each of the numbers. For the composite numbers, the fun will be in deciphering how the figure was constructed from the individual prime-number figures. After the part for the 100 numbers is a short part at the end showing the sieve of Eratosthenes, albeit in graphical form. This part finishes with an explanation of Euclid’s proof that there is no largest prime.

There is very little reading in the book; the ideas will become clear from the pictures and drawings. Except perhaps for the very last part, the volume should be accessible for elementary school students, and even for some of them, the last part should not be too difficult. The review of the basic multiplication table does not require knowing how to do more complicated multiplication, and the use of the figures might suggest ideas for art projects. There is no mention of supplementary materials such as posters or a PowerPoint presentation, but students might be able to create their own posters. Because of the color and the emphasis on pictures, the book may even have some appeal to more advanced students and to adults who are “afraid” of mathematics, because it doesn’t repeat what they may have already experienced, but instead brings out new ideas with little demand on prior knowledge. --Donald E. Myers, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Level: YA, C, GA
Rating: + +

Without question, computers and information technology have been highly transformative in just about every facet of human life. In Bright Boys, Tom Green provides an account of the historical events and people that (to varying degrees) inspired, innovated, implemented, and enabled the computing technology that has permeated nearly all aspects of the modern experience. The story that unravels between the front and back covers provides a well-written, well-researched discussion of the intricate configuration of circumstances and individuals that conspired in two major firsts: (1) Whirlwind, a first-of-its-kind digital computer capable of processing and delivering information in real time and (2) digital networks capable of transporting information. In the book, Green takes special care to make the reader aware of the social and scientific contexts in which the “bright boys” worked and flourished; the result is a highly enjoyable history lesson with a true feel for the human aspect of many of the key players.

Although I enjoyed reading Bright Boys, the absence of women from the narrative was quite striking, especially to me as a female computer scientist. Indeed, in the era featured in the book, neither women nor minorities were welcomed or strongly encouraged to participate in “STEM” (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. This fact leads me to a significant irony that became more apparent to me as I read the book. Consider this: The bright boys worked in labs at MIT, and Green incorporates details about the Boston-Cambridge area of Massachusetts. A key reason I was able to connect with his description of the locale was the two summers I spent in Cambridge in the MIT Summer Research Program. Although women and minorities played no role in the work outlined in the book, my time spent in Cambridge as a program participant was specifically designed to further my interest in computer science research and to help ensure that women and minorities would become more actively involved in future technological advances. In reconciling the irony between the book and my experiences, I think that Bright Boys provides an insightful look into the past and silently encourages readers like me to make sure that future advances have diverse contributors. --Cyntrica Eaton, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA