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Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma
Alan Mathison Turing.- Mathematician, philosopher, codebreaker, a founder of computer science, and the father of Artificial Intelligence, Turing was one of the most original thinkers of the last century - and the man whose work helped create the computer-driven world we now inhabit.
But he was also an enigmatic figure, deeply reticent yet also strikingly naïve. Turing’s openness about his homosexuality at a time when it was an imprisonable offense ultimately led to his untimely lo death at the age of only forty-one. In Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma, David Boyle reveals the mysteries behind the man and his remarkable career.
Aged just 22, Turing was elected a fellow at King's College, Cambridge on the strength of a dissertation in which he proved the central limit theorem. By the age of 33, he had been awarded the OBE by King George VI for his wartime services: Turing was instrumental in cracking the Nazi Enigma machines at the top secret code breaking establishment at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.
But his achievements were to be tragically overshadowed by the paranoia of the post-War years. Hounded for his supposedly subversive views and for his sexuality, Turing was prosecuted in 1952, and forced to accept the humiliation of hormone treatment to avoid a prison sentence. Just two years later, at the age of 41 he was dead. The verdict: cyanide poisoning.
Was Turing’s death accidental as his mother always claimed? Or did persistent persecution drive him to take him own life?
Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma seeks to find the man behind the science, illuminating the life of a person who is still a shadowy presence behind his brilliant achievements.
But he was also an enigmatic figure, deeply reticent yet also strikingly naïve. Turing’s openness about his homosexuality at a time when it was an imprisonable offense ultimately led to his untimely lo death at the age of only forty-one. In Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma, David Boyle reveals the mysteries behind the man and his remarkable career.
Aged just 22, Turing was elected a fellow at King's College, Cambridge on the strength of a dissertation in which he proved the central limit theorem. By the age of 33, he had been awarded the OBE by King George VI for his wartime services: Turing was instrumental in cracking the Nazi Enigma machines at the top secret code breaking establishment at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.
But his achievements were to be tragically overshadowed by the paranoia of the post-War years. Hounded for his supposedly subversive views and for his sexuality, Turing was prosecuted in 1952, and forced to accept the humiliation of hormone treatment to avoid a prison sentence. Just two years later, at the age of 41 he was dead. The verdict: cyanide poisoning.
Was Turing’s death accidental as his mother always claimed? Or did persistent persecution drive him to take him own life?
Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma seeks to find the man behind the science, illuminating the life of a person who is still a shadowy presence behind his brilliant achievements.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
532 people are currently reading
1,524 people want to read
About the author
David Boyle
223Ìýbooks53ÌýfollowersDavid Boyle is the author of Blondel’s Song: The Capture, Imprisonment and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart, and a series of books about history, social change and the future. His book Authenticity: Brands, Fakes, Spin and the Lust for Real Life helped put the search for authenticity on the agenda as a social phenomenon. The Tyranny of Numbers and The Sum of Our Discontent predicted the backlash against the government’s target culture. Funny Money launched the time banks movement in the UK.
David is an associate of the new economics foundation, the pioneering think-tank in London, and has been at the heart of the effort to introduce time banks to Britain as a critical element of public service reform - since when the movement has grown to more than 100 projects in the UK.
He is also the founder of the London Time Bank network and co-founder of Time Banks UK. He writes about the future of volunteering, cities and business.
His work on the future of money has also been covered in books and pamphlets like Why London Needs its own Currency (nef, 2000), Virtual Currencies (Financial Times, 2000), The Money Changers: Currency reform from Aristotle to e-cash (Earthscan, 2002) and The Little Money Book (Alastair Sawday, 2003).
He has written for many national newspapers and magazines, and edited a range of magazines including Town & Country Planning and Liberal Democrat News. He is the editor of Radical Economics.
He lives in Crystal Palace, in south London, with Sarah and Robin (two years old). He is a member of the Federal Policy Committee of the Liberal Democrats and he stood for Parliament in Regents Park and Kensington North in 2001.
David is an associate of the new economics foundation, the pioneering think-tank in London, and has been at the heart of the effort to introduce time banks to Britain as a critical element of public service reform - since when the movement has grown to more than 100 projects in the UK.
He is also the founder of the London Time Bank network and co-founder of Time Banks UK. He writes about the future of volunteering, cities and business.
His work on the future of money has also been covered in books and pamphlets like Why London Needs its own Currency (nef, 2000), Virtual Currencies (Financial Times, 2000), The Money Changers: Currency reform from Aristotle to e-cash (Earthscan, 2002) and The Little Money Book (Alastair Sawday, 2003).
He has written for many national newspapers and magazines, and edited a range of magazines including Town & Country Planning and Liberal Democrat News. He is the editor of Radical Economics.
He lives in Crystal Palace, in south London, with Sarah and Robin (two years old). He is a member of the Federal Policy Committee of the Liberal Democrats and he stood for Parliament in Regents Park and Kensington North in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
June 16, 2023
Alan Turing was a heavily misunderstood genius who had the misfortune of being gay and really wants to do him justice. In the prologue at least, where he spends a lot of time shaming the British Parliament's procrastination in giving the man an official criminal pardon.
I fully agree that nobody should face criminal charges based on their sexual preferences. Turing especially, as his case feels like a byproduct of the government's anti-communist paranoia. That saaaaaid the actual content of this book basically just waxes poetic about the mathematician's extraordinary intelligence, does a whole lot of (possibly relevant?) name-dropping, and delves a bit into cryptography and the beginnings of artificial intelligence (AI).
I felt like I was reading a Wikipedia entry: somewhat informative but very, very dull. Nothing in here made me actually like Turing as either a person or a mathematician, for all that his views on AI evolution did sound intriguing. And that's another thing: none of the technical advancements are properly explained. I don't mean that in a "you can now sit an exam demonstrating these concepts", but rather an "I think this guy was quite prescient and we should rethink our enthusiasm for ChatGPT-like apps".
I suppose Boyle may have been trying to explain how much people didn't understand Turing, but to me it feels as if the author was hiding just how much he didn't understand. I used to write my Physics exams the same way: throw in tonnes of theory, hoping to have enough for a passing grade.
I was ready to appreciate Turing for all his scientific contributions, and get mad at society on his behalf, but this book's arguments were basically:
- well he was really and truly smart, like you wouldn't believe how smart
- he met loooots of important people
- ... and he was treated unfairly by society
Now go storm theCapitol British Parliament on his behalf!
Score: 1.6/5 stars
I really didn't want to read this book, so the Universe made sure I had a truly dull time doing so.
I fully agree that nobody should face criminal charges based on their sexual preferences. Turing especially, as his case feels like a byproduct of the government's anti-communist paranoia. That saaaaaid the actual content of this book basically just waxes poetic about the mathematician's extraordinary intelligence, does a whole lot of (possibly relevant?) name-dropping, and delves a bit into cryptography and the beginnings of artificial intelligence (AI).
I felt like I was reading a Wikipedia entry: somewhat informative but very, very dull. Nothing in here made me actually like Turing as either a person or a mathematician, for all that his views on AI evolution did sound intriguing. And that's another thing: none of the technical advancements are properly explained. I don't mean that in a "you can now sit an exam demonstrating these concepts", but rather an "I think this guy was quite prescient and we should rethink our enthusiasm for ChatGPT-like apps".
I suppose Boyle may have been trying to explain how much people didn't understand Turing, but to me it feels as if the author was hiding just how much he didn't understand. I used to write my Physics exams the same way: throw in tonnes of theory, hoping to have enough for a passing grade.
I was ready to appreciate Turing for all his scientific contributions, and get mad at society on his behalf, but this book's arguments were basically:
- well he was really and truly smart, like you wouldn't believe how smart
- he met loooots of important people
- ... and he was treated unfairly by society
Now go storm the
Score: 1.6/5 stars
I really didn't want to read this book, so the Universe made sure I had a truly dull time doing so.
August 1, 2022
Despre puține personalități istorice am spus că mi-aș dori să le fi cunoscut, iar Turing este una dintre ele. L-am admirat și invidiat pentru inteligența lui excepțională și l-am compătimit pentru halul în care a fost tratat și sfârșitul tragic. Găsit mort în locuința sa după ce a ingerat otravă, fără nimeni alături, fără să își fi luat vreun rămas-bun, fără ca măcar să se știe dacă a fost sinucidere sau crimă. Atâtea vieți schimbate și chiar salvate în doar patru decenii de viață! Lumea ar fi fost mai măreață, dacă i-ar mai fi dat câțiva ani!
Obsedat de filmul animat Albă-ca-zăpada și cei șapte pitici, excentric, homosexual, timid și nesigur în societate, încrezător și hazliu cu prietenii, condamnat la castrare chimică, minte sclipitoare în domeniul matematicii, filozofiei, informaticii și inteligenței artificiale. David Boyle a încercat să ne prezinte fiecare latură a vieții lui Turing și a reușit, zic eu, deși a fost foarte succint. Mi-aș fi dorit mai multe relatări despre el din partea celor care l-au cunoscut, dar tot am reușit să îl văd în doar o sută și ceva de pagini atât ca om, cu intimități, iubiri și regrete, cât și ca un geniu ambițios cu numeroase realizări profesionale, care ne însoțesc viețile și astăzi. O lectură suficient de cuprinzătoare, dacă nu vreți și prea multe detalii tehnice despre munca lui sau bârfe despre relațiile lui cu bărbații. Scurtă și la foarte interesant subiect. Recenzia aici: .
,,Când mergea pe bicicletă, purta o mască de gaze, pentru a evita polenul. Era binecunoscut faptul că își legase cana cu lanț de un radiator și că folosea sfoară ca să-și țină pantalonii. Umbla deseori neras și, cu atât mai ciudat pentru o viață semicazonă, a fost găsit, la un moment dat, într-un colț, tricotând. Pentru scurt timp a fost membru al Gărzii Civile, dar, în 1942, s-a plictisit și a încetat să se mai prezinte. Comandantul a încercat să-l amenințe cu legea marțială, pentru ca mai apoi să descopere că în formularul de înscriere, la întrebarea «Înțelegeți că, dacă vă înrolați în Garda Civilă, deveniți răspunzător în fața legii marțiale?», Turing răspunsese prin «Nu».'' (pag. 82)
Obsedat de filmul animat Albă-ca-zăpada și cei șapte pitici, excentric, homosexual, timid și nesigur în societate, încrezător și hazliu cu prietenii, condamnat la castrare chimică, minte sclipitoare în domeniul matematicii, filozofiei, informaticii și inteligenței artificiale. David Boyle a încercat să ne prezinte fiecare latură a vieții lui Turing și a reușit, zic eu, deși a fost foarte succint. Mi-aș fi dorit mai multe relatări despre el din partea celor care l-au cunoscut, dar tot am reușit să îl văd în doar o sută și ceva de pagini atât ca om, cu intimități, iubiri și regrete, cât și ca un geniu ambițios cu numeroase realizări profesionale, care ne însoțesc viețile și astăzi. O lectură suficient de cuprinzătoare, dacă nu vreți și prea multe detalii tehnice despre munca lui sau bârfe despre relațiile lui cu bărbații. Scurtă și la foarte interesant subiect. Recenzia aici: .
,,Când mergea pe bicicletă, purta o mască de gaze, pentru a evita polenul. Era binecunoscut faptul că își legase cana cu lanț de un radiator și că folosea sfoară ca să-și țină pantalonii. Umbla deseori neras și, cu atât mai ciudat pentru o viață semicazonă, a fost găsit, la un moment dat, într-un colț, tricotând. Pentru scurt timp a fost membru al Gărzii Civile, dar, în 1942, s-a plictisit și a încetat să se mai prezinte. Comandantul a încercat să-l amenințe cu legea marțială, pentru ca mai apoi să descopere că în formularul de înscriere, la întrebarea «Înțelegeți că, dacă vă înrolați în Garda Civilă, deveniți răspunzător în fața legii marțiale?», Turing răspunsese prin «Nu».'' (pag. 82)
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March 11, 2014Rating: 3.5* of five
My Kindle seduced me again with an Endeavour Press� Kindle Single, ALAN TURING: Unlocking the Engiman, by David Boyle. At about 65pp, it's long enough to learn some new things and short enough to provide an overview of the short life of this amazing man.
As ever, I've cached my review at so it will be safe from data-deleting megacorps.
My Kindle seduced me again with an Endeavour Press� Kindle Single, ALAN TURING: Unlocking the Engiman, by David Boyle. At about 65pp, it's long enough to learn some new things and short enough to provide an overview of the short life of this amazing man.
As ever, I've cached my review at so it will be safe from data-deleting megacorps.
January 1, 2015
Alan Turing was a notable philosophical/mathematical figure in the advancement of computers and artificial intelligence. Known for his contributions at Bletchley Park (Britain’s codebreaking headquarters) during World War 2, Turing worked on cracking the Nazi’s Enigma code which was used in transmissions between the U-Boats and Nazi command. At Bletchley, he developed enhancements to a Polish bomb machine, which decrypted messages, to create the bombe, a machine that found the settings of Enigma.
Following the end of the war, Turing pursued his fascination with machines further and began conceptualising the modern computers that we use today. He also worked on the design of the Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) and came up with The Turing Test, which was a method to set a standard to determine if a machine was intelligent or not. The idea was that if the user couldn’t tell whether who they were talking with was a computer or a human, then a computer could be said to be intelligent.
Turing was also an unashamed homosexual at a time in Britain where, under the Labouchere Amendment, homosexuality was illegal (this same law also sentenced Oscar Wilde to 2 years hard labour). Turing was arrested in 1952 after talking about his boyfriend during a burglary and sentenced to oestrogen injections (chemical castration) that caused him to physically change (he grew breasts) and disrupt his thinking.
In 1954, at the age of 41, Alan Turing committed suicide by swallowing cyanide, perhaps as a result of his persecution as a gay man. A half-eaten apple was found alongside him and it was believed that the apple was the delivery method of the poison � Turing was obsessed with the Disney film Snow White where the apple sends Snow White into a deep sleep. The Labouchere Amendment was repealed in 1967 and it was only in 2013 that Queen Elizabeth II gave Turing an official pardon for his “crime�.
David Boyle’s Unlocking the Enigma is a brief, but informative, look at Turing’s life and work that covers all of the above, as well as many other things, in more detail. It also focuses on theories surrounding Turing’s death, that, perhaps because of his Intelligence work during the war and proclivity to take holidays abroad in countries near the Iron Curtain (where homosexual behaviour was more permissive), Turing was killed to keep him from giving away secrets � if that was what he was doing (unlikely).
Boyle also mentions that Turing’s death was perhaps accidental given the dangerous experiments he was conducting with chemicals at the time, especially as his hormone punishment had ended and his friends claimed he wasn’t depressed at the time (though this theory is also unlikely).
Boyle does also heavily emphasise Turing as a gay martyr, which is fair given the harsh treatment all gay people suffered under the Labouchere Amendment, but especially as Turing didn’t hide his sexuality. He was years ahead of his time not just in his work with computers but with his social thinking too.
Unlocking the Enigma is a fine introduction/summary of Alan Turing’s work and life for readers unfamiliar with him and not looking for an in-depth study or lengthy biography of the great man.
Following the end of the war, Turing pursued his fascination with machines further and began conceptualising the modern computers that we use today. He also worked on the design of the Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) and came up with The Turing Test, which was a method to set a standard to determine if a machine was intelligent or not. The idea was that if the user couldn’t tell whether who they were talking with was a computer or a human, then a computer could be said to be intelligent.
Turing was also an unashamed homosexual at a time in Britain where, under the Labouchere Amendment, homosexuality was illegal (this same law also sentenced Oscar Wilde to 2 years hard labour). Turing was arrested in 1952 after talking about his boyfriend during a burglary and sentenced to oestrogen injections (chemical castration) that caused him to physically change (he grew breasts) and disrupt his thinking.
In 1954, at the age of 41, Alan Turing committed suicide by swallowing cyanide, perhaps as a result of his persecution as a gay man. A half-eaten apple was found alongside him and it was believed that the apple was the delivery method of the poison � Turing was obsessed with the Disney film Snow White where the apple sends Snow White into a deep sleep. The Labouchere Amendment was repealed in 1967 and it was only in 2013 that Queen Elizabeth II gave Turing an official pardon for his “crime�.
David Boyle’s Unlocking the Enigma is a brief, but informative, look at Turing’s life and work that covers all of the above, as well as many other things, in more detail. It also focuses on theories surrounding Turing’s death, that, perhaps because of his Intelligence work during the war and proclivity to take holidays abroad in countries near the Iron Curtain (where homosexual behaviour was more permissive), Turing was killed to keep him from giving away secrets � if that was what he was doing (unlikely).
Boyle also mentions that Turing’s death was perhaps accidental given the dangerous experiments he was conducting with chemicals at the time, especially as his hormone punishment had ended and his friends claimed he wasn’t depressed at the time (though this theory is also unlikely).
Boyle does also heavily emphasise Turing as a gay martyr, which is fair given the harsh treatment all gay people suffered under the Labouchere Amendment, but especially as Turing didn’t hide his sexuality. He was years ahead of his time not just in his work with computers but with his social thinking too.
Unlocking the Enigma is a fine introduction/summary of Alan Turing’s work and life for readers unfamiliar with him and not looking for an in-depth study or lengthy biography of the great man.
October 3, 2021
Despre viața părintelui calculatoarelor așa cum le știm astăzi, și unul dintre eroii celui de-al doilea război mondial. O minte strălucitoare, persecutată de preconcepțiile perioadei. Un destin tragic, având în vedere că societatea i-a folosit inteligența atât timp cât acest lucru ducea la un avantaj în război, dar îndată ce direcția s-a schimbat, a fost văzut doar ca un risc, sau ca un om defect.
May 17, 2014
This kindle single gives an interesting short biography of Alan Turing, the brilliant scientist best known for wartime code breaking at Bletchley Park and his pioneering contribution to the very beginning of information technology. This tells the story of his life from a bookish and withdrawn boy, independent and obsessed with mathematics, to an academic career which led to his important wartime work and a post-war period at King’s College where he faced difficulties in both the scientific world and his emotional life.
Alan Turing was both respected by colleagues and also infuriated many he knew. Like many great intellectuals, he cared little about external things � tying his trousers with string and staying in cheap hotels, even when he could afford better. He was also homosexual in a time when it was illegal and his sexuality was the reason for most of his troubles in later life. This book hinges on the 2013 request in the House of Lords for Turin to receive a statutory pardon for crimes relating to his homosexuality and there is also a fascinating possible link to Guy Burgess which I would like to read more about. Although this is a short book, it is a good introduction to a truly fascinating and ground breaking man.
Rated 3.5
Alan Turing was both respected by colleagues and also infuriated many he knew. Like many great intellectuals, he cared little about external things � tying his trousers with string and staying in cheap hotels, even when he could afford better. He was also homosexual in a time when it was illegal and his sexuality was the reason for most of his troubles in later life. This book hinges on the 2013 request in the House of Lords for Turin to receive a statutory pardon for crimes relating to his homosexuality and there is also a fascinating possible link to Guy Burgess which I would like to read more about. Although this is a short book, it is a good introduction to a truly fascinating and ground breaking man.
Rated 3.5
April 3, 2023
Another 3.5 bumped to a 4.0.
Good. Interesting. Learned a few things I did not know, but ultimately felt there was more to Alan, both his life and his work, than this short book could fully convey.
Good. Interesting. Learned a few things I did not know, but ultimately felt there was more to Alan, both his life and his work, than this short book could fully convey.
January 5, 2022
This right-sized (a bit over 2 hours) biography of Alan Turing gave me pretty much all the information I'd been curious about concerning his life & considerable achievements. Although it did put some emphasis on his work during WW II, it also devoted more attention than I've seen elsewhere to his postwar work with the beginnings of artificial intelligence.
Turing's struggles with his homosexuality -- or rather, his society's intolerance of it --were given what I thought was an appropriate amount of attention, without overshadowing the rest of the narrative. All in all, I found this to be a short but balanced biography, or possibly a biographical sketch which might lead readers in any number of directions. I got this as an Audible Plus selection, & was quite satisfied with the amount of listening time required vs. the amount of information enjoyably obtained.
Recommended for: espionage fans, WW II / Cold War fans, or those interested in the history of modern computing.
Turing's struggles with his homosexuality -- or rather, his society's intolerance of it --were given what I thought was an appropriate amount of attention, without overshadowing the rest of the narrative. All in all, I found this to be a short but balanced biography, or possibly a biographical sketch which might lead readers in any number of directions. I got this as an Audible Plus selection, & was quite satisfied with the amount of listening time required vs. the amount of information enjoyably obtained.
Recommended for: espionage fans, WW II / Cold War fans, or those interested in the history of modern computing.
January 5, 2021
Short but interesting biography of a fascinating figure. Boyle gives a good overview over Turing's life and career, touching on various aspects of his codebreaking efforts at Bletchley Park, his theories on the concept of artificial intelligence and other work as well as his personal life. There's not enough room for an in-depth look at any of these topics, but it's a good place to start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2019
This is a short and concise biography of Alan Turing. It covers his secret work on breaking the German Enigma code, his academic career, his arrest for a homosexual act, and his sad suicide.
The book offered nothing new to me about Alan Turing. A much better book is Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
Anyone interested in biographies of people who made major contributions to the world should like the book, and for those that want a short review of his life.
The book offered nothing new to me about Alan Turing. A much better book is Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
Anyone interested in biographies of people who made major contributions to the world should like the book, and for those that want a short review of his life.
October 31, 2016
This is a short book, a Kindle Single, and will give the reader a flavour of Alan Turing's position in the world of science. He was a brilliant mathematician and was part of the Enigma code-breaking team at Bletchley Park. His interest in artificial intelligence is remembered in the terminology � the Turing Test. As short as it is, it necessarily skims over the surface of much of Turing’s life, so treat it as an introduction. A recent 'pardon' for his homosexuality has brought Turing into the news again. This book will give a reader who knows little about the man a tantalising glimpse but it has a substantial bibliography for any who wish to go further.
I was sorry that the last 11% was a bite from the author's next book. I really dislike this.
I was sorry that the last 11% was a bite from the author's next book. I really dislike this.
June 6, 2016
A brief introduction to Turing's ideas about computer's intelligence and consciousness. Can a computer be aware of its own existence? The book's title is deceiving. Just scratches the surface of Turing's involvement in cracking ENIGMA. This book encourages me to explore a bit more about the liar paradox, the Entscheidungsproblem, and the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.
February 8, 2015
I echo the sentiments of another reader who wrote: "Anyone interested in Alan Turing and his role with Enigma at Bletchley Park will find little enlightenment here. I am sorry to say it is a grave disappointment."
A sketchy overview of an interesting life.
A sketchy overview of an interesting life.
March 6, 2015
While I found this to be a very interesting read, overall I thought that the author did not spend enough time on each particular event in Turing's life. It was too much of an overview of his life rather than devoting time to the questions and discoveries that made him famous.
October 29, 2015
Concise and informative, I loved how it managed to provide such a complete perspective on Turing and his work so clearly and compellingly in such a short book. It is beautifully researched and written.
March 5, 2016
I had no idea Alan Turing was so fascinating or had made such important contributions to the fields of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Theory. You really don't have to know a thing about either of those fields to appreciate this piece.
May 4, 2017
Unlocking An Enigma
Just as this Kindle Single explains how Alan Turing helped unlock the secrets of the Enigma machine, so too does it help unlock the Enigma known as Alan Turing. Tracing his life and exploring the questions surrounding his death at age 41, this short book is well worth reading as an introduction to Turing's life and his work. If the reader wants a detailed look, however, the limitations of the Kindle Single book format will cause this book to be a frustrating disappointment as it uses broad brushstrokes to paint Turing's life, while only looking in depth at a few aspects thereof. As an introduction to Turing's life, I give it four stars; as a detailed in-depth look, it would barely merit two.
Just as this Kindle Single explains how Alan Turing helped unlock the secrets of the Enigma machine, so too does it help unlock the Enigma known as Alan Turing. Tracing his life and exploring the questions surrounding his death at age 41, this short book is well worth reading as an introduction to Turing's life and his work. If the reader wants a detailed look, however, the limitations of the Kindle Single book format will cause this book to be a frustrating disappointment as it uses broad brushstrokes to paint Turing's life, while only looking in depth at a few aspects thereof. As an introduction to Turing's life, I give it four stars; as a detailed in-depth look, it would barely merit two.
June 10, 2021
Succinct look at Turing’s life and career.
June 23, 2022
This was a very short biography that didn't go into very much detail. For anyone who wants an introduction to the life and destruction of this genius will appreciate this book. It left me wanting a far more detailed biography.
April 9, 2019
His life touched my heart.
February 28, 2015
Sente-se que Alan Turing é daquelas personalidades que não é suficientemente recordada na memória comum. Conhecedores da história da computação sabem da importância deste homem para o nascer do nosso mundo digital, e peritos na história da II guerra recordam logo o seu papel nos esforços de criptografia britânica. E é talvez por isto que Turing seja mais recordado, para lá de ter dado o nome ao teste que visa distinguir uma inteligência artificial da inteligência humana. O recente filme biográfico ajuda a conhecer melhor esta figura incontornável do século XX, apesar de conter muitas simplificações e incorrecções.
Este Unlocking the Enigma é uma biografia curta e concisa, mas certeira. Traça as principais linhas da vida e personalidade de um matemático intrigado pela complexidade, cujas investigações nos legaram o conceito de automatização mecanizada do processamento de lógica matemática através de algoritmos utilizáveis para qualquer tipo de problema (acertei?), a partir de um artigo seminal que se debruça sobre o Entscheidungsproblem, essencialmente uma versão mais compexa do paradoxo do grego mentiroso. Recorda-nos que a fama matemática de Turing levou-o a ser convidado para o Instute of Advanced Studies em Princeton antes do dealbar da II guerra, mostra-nos a importância do seu trabalho no decifrar da criptografia germânica através da criação das bombes, computadores mecânicos criados com o fim expresso de decifrar códigos cifrados por máquinas Enigma, e não só. Continua com o envolvimento de Turing nos esforços britânicos no pós guerra para construir os seus primeiros computadores.
No que toca à vida pessoal de final dramático do cientista, o livro não foge à questão da sua homossexualidade, que é o elemento que o inicia e encerra, reflectindo na patética injustiça cometida sobre um homem a quem tanto devemos. Recorda-nos que, fugindo à imagem do cientista quase autista que persiste nas consciências, Turing sempre foi assumido em relação à sua sexualidade, estando longe de ser anti-social isolado, apesar do desleixo com a sua aparência. E recorda-nos que a sua paixão pela corrida era tão forte que quase se qualificou para a equipe olÃmpica britânica.
Curta, concisa e cuidada, esta biografia dá-nos a conhecer as várias dimensões de um homem discreto cuja importância para o mundo digital é basilar.
Este Unlocking the Enigma é uma biografia curta e concisa, mas certeira. Traça as principais linhas da vida e personalidade de um matemático intrigado pela complexidade, cujas investigações nos legaram o conceito de automatização mecanizada do processamento de lógica matemática através de algoritmos utilizáveis para qualquer tipo de problema (acertei?), a partir de um artigo seminal que se debruça sobre o Entscheidungsproblem, essencialmente uma versão mais compexa do paradoxo do grego mentiroso. Recorda-nos que a fama matemática de Turing levou-o a ser convidado para o Instute of Advanced Studies em Princeton antes do dealbar da II guerra, mostra-nos a importância do seu trabalho no decifrar da criptografia germânica através da criação das bombes, computadores mecânicos criados com o fim expresso de decifrar códigos cifrados por máquinas Enigma, e não só. Continua com o envolvimento de Turing nos esforços britânicos no pós guerra para construir os seus primeiros computadores.
No que toca à vida pessoal de final dramático do cientista, o livro não foge à questão da sua homossexualidade, que é o elemento que o inicia e encerra, reflectindo na patética injustiça cometida sobre um homem a quem tanto devemos. Recorda-nos que, fugindo à imagem do cientista quase autista que persiste nas consciências, Turing sempre foi assumido em relação à sua sexualidade, estando longe de ser anti-social isolado, apesar do desleixo com a sua aparência. E recorda-nos que a sua paixão pela corrida era tão forte que quase se qualificou para a equipe olÃmpica britânica.
Curta, concisa e cuidada, esta biografia dá-nos a conhecer as várias dimensões de um homem discreto cuja importância para o mundo digital é basilar.
February 3, 2017
This was a short book that, in Kindle form, was very inexpensive. I have always found Alan Turing an interesting (and tragic) figure, so I grabbed it. It took very little time to read (which perhaps was the intent of the author), and added a little bit to my knowledge of Turing. It was written in an engaging style.
This book has caused me to set myself a challenge: to read a book I bought a while ago, immediately after viewing the movie "The Imitation Game" . When I received this book, I discovered that it is a fat tome of 736 pages, and was intimidated by its size. So, now...
This book has caused me to set myself a challenge: to read a book I bought a while ago, immediately after viewing the movie "The Imitation Game" . When I received this book, I discovered that it is a fat tome of 736 pages, and was intimidated by its size. So, now...
May 1, 2017
I alternated between the Kindle edition and the audiobook narration via Audible.
This is a good introduction to the short life of Alan Turing for someone who, like me, has a limited knowledge of his life and achievements. It's a quick, interesting read and overviews his contributions to cracking the German codes during the Second World War. It discusses his sexuality and his eventual suicide in 1954.
Again, it is just an overview and may not be suitable for someone looking for a more comprehensive description of his life.
This is a good introduction to the short life of Alan Turing for someone who, like me, has a limited knowledge of his life and achievements. It's a quick, interesting read and overviews his contributions to cracking the German codes during the Second World War. It discusses his sexuality and his eventual suicide in 1954.
Again, it is just an overview and may not be suitable for someone looking for a more comprehensive description of his life.
October 15, 2016
Interesting short history of one of the most brilliant men in the world who was horribly persecuted by the British Government because he was a homosexual. Thanks to him and his team of fellow scientist Germany's Enigma code was broken helping the Allies win WWII. His treatment after the war is definitely a black mark on Britain's history.
March 17, 2015
An interesting man who was never shown the appreciation he deserved, nor allowed the dignity of living how he wanted. He's one of those people in history that I wish I could travel back in time and tell them they were right, or that their legacy is greater than they could have imagined.
November 13, 2018
* tercume cok iyi degil
* ancak kitap da bir biyografi sayilmaz: ne tam teknik, ne tam biyografi... Biraz ortalarda kalmis bence
* felsefi denilebilir ama orada da tercume kotulugune kurban gitmis biraz
* derinlik pek bulamadim...
* ancak kitap da bir biyografi sayilmaz: ne tam teknik, ne tam biyografi... Biraz ortalarda kalmis bence
* felsefi denilebilir ama orada da tercume kotulugune kurban gitmis biraz
* derinlik pek bulamadim...
December 29, 2014
It didn't really get in depth or into the man very much. More a recording of dates and events that felt like it jumped around a lot.
April 27, 2015
Fascinating! Great look into history, social mores, science and computers. I really enjoyed this book.
June 10, 2016
A concise & extremely interesting story of the life of Alan Turing before, during & after his time at Bletchley Park.
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