Proving Ground, Kathy Kleiman
Proving Ground, Kathy Kleiman
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Proving Ground
The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer

Author: Kathy Kleiman

Narrator: Erin Bennett

Unabridged: 7 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/26/2022

Synopsis

Discover a fascinating look into the lives of six historic trailblazers in this World War II-era story of the American women who programmed the world's first modern computer.

After the end of World War II, the race for technological supremacy sped on. Top-secret research into ballistics and computing, begun during the war to aid those on the front lines, continued across the United States as engineers and programmers rushed to complete their confidential assignments. Among them were six pioneering women, tasked with figuring out how to program the world's first general-purpose, programmable, all-electronic computer—better known as the ENIAC—even though there were no instruction codes or programming languages in existence. While most students of computer history are aware of this innovative machine, the great contributions of the women who programmed it were never told—until now. 

Over the course of a decade, Kathy Kleiman met with four of the original six ENIAC Programmers and recorded extensive interviews with the women about their work. Proving Ground restores these women to their rightful place as technological revolutionaries. As the tech world continues to struggle with gender imbalance and its far-reaching consequences, the story of the ENIAC Programmers' groundbreaking work is more urgently necessary than ever before, and Proving Ground is the celebration they deserve.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Stephanie (abookandadog)

I had no idea that the history of computer development was so closely intertwined with military history. And I was surprised to learn that women were deeply involved and so commonly overlooked in the history books. I’ve been considering a career in the technology industry and this is even more motiv......more

Goodreads review by Amber

This is pretty dry and told with a lot of detail. I don't know that I would recommend it to someone who isn't super interested in computer history because it's not really told in a fun accessible way like some nonfiction, but I thought it was interesting. It also really helps that I live near where......more

Goodreads review by Franzi

I didn't enjoy the writing style at all and the author added too much unnecessary information about all the characters (not just the six). Gotta give an extra rating for the out-calling with names in the epilogue — don't let men get away with sexist research.......more

Goodreads review by Zignorp

I loved that Betty (pretty sure it was her) invented the concept of break points, and that it actually involved breaking a connection. Some of the personal threads were hard to follow, like when Mary died, I had to search back to try to remember who she was. Such an important story, that without thi......more

Goodreads review by April

3✨ I went into Proving Ground with very high hopes. I love women’s history and I’m always so intrigued by the pioneering women of STEM and their stories. Proving Ground is no different but I will say, the execution fell a bit flat for me. The writing was pretty weak and felt very repetitive throughou......more

Quotes

“Everyone told Kathy Kleiman that the women she sought did not exist. Thankfully, she didn’t believe them. In Proving Ground, Kleiman pursues her subjects with the instincts of an investigative journalist, uncovering the stories of six groundbreaking women who battled sexism, complex trajectory equations, and blown vacuum tubes in order to program the world’s first digital computer. With unforgettable, detailed prose, Kleiman blends the history of early computing with the lives of the women who made modern programming possible. Proving Ground is a book so deeply inspiring that it has the power to completely alter how we see the technology field and the role of women within it.”—Nathalia Holt, New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls

“With this book, Kathy Kleiman restores the ENIAC 6 to their rightful, lauded place in the history of computing. The bond she developed with these women through her years of research and interviews is evident, as each of them come vibrantly and vividly alive in her writing. Their story will serve as inspiration for generations of women in STEM.”—Keith O’Brien, author of Fly Girls

“Kleiman has a novelist’s gift for crafting a page-turning narrative, and the one on offer is both revelatory and inspiring. Fans of Dava Sobel’s The Glass Universe and Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures are in for a treat.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Kathy Kleiman's courageous pursuit across decades discovering and sharing the story of the extraordinary contribution of these first programmers and founding inventors gives us a gift that can change the future - empowering a more welcoming technical innovation culture for all.”—Megan Smith, Former United States Chief Technology Officer and CEO shift7

"An important and inspiring little-known narrative in modern computing history."—Kirkus Reviews

"Kleiman excels at capturing the pressures of working in technology during a highly stressful period in history, particularly when the results of technological trials directly impacted war efforts. . . [T]he inclusion of direct interviews with the women and the clear passion for their stories make Proving Ground a needed and welcome addition to the shelves of computer history."—Booklist

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