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July 2015 Vol. 52 No. 11

This book provides a philosophical view of computing, its evolution, and the shaping of the discipline.  Tedre (Stockholm Univ., Sweden) takes a detailed look at the blur between mathematics and computer science.  Where does one discipline start and the other leave off?  Or do mathematics and computer science continually interact with each other?  In little more than 200 pages of text, the author takes readers on a historical journey that starts before Leibniz, Pascal, and Boole.  The volume's ten chapters are organized into five parts.  Part 1 sets the foundation.  Part 2, "Computer Scientists and Mathematicians," focuses on the intertwined relationship between computer science and mathematics.  A discussion of software engineering follows in part 3, "The Fall and Rise of Engineering."  Part 4, "The Science of Computing," describes the author's philosophy.  The concluding part addresses the work that still must be done.  The book includes extensive supporting documentation (34-page reference list and 24-page bibliography) and an excellent index.

--J. Beidler, University of Scranton

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners.