Chinese Computer

Thomas S. Mullaney is Professor of Chinese History at Stanford University and a Guggenheim Fellow. He is the author of The Chinese Typewriter: A History, Where Research Begins, and Coming to Terms with the Nation: Ethnic Classification in Modern China.

• Introduction. Forget Amnesia1. How Much Code Can a Person Stand?2. The Birth of Autocompletion3. Shift CTRL4. QWERTY in China5. The Search for Mod China6. The Alphabet Doesn’t Belong to You (It Never Did)Conclusion. Welcome to Hypography

“Mullaney has written an informative and enjoyable history. . . . Whoever thought that a book about ‘hypographic semiotics’ could be so absorbing? Geeks will enjoy the computing conundrums and Sinophiles will love the history; laymen, too, will learn plenty.”—The Economist“Mullaney’s careful documenting of the typing machines of the last century. . . . reveals a story that’s tumultuous and chaotic. . . . An endless unfurling of something always in the process of becoming a fuller version of itself.”—MIT Technology Review“Mullaney's spirited narrative, half detective story, half history of technology, is a sequel to his equally fascinating book on the invention of the Chinese typewriter.”—Foreign Affairs“Mullaney’s telling of the unfamiliar history of how China’s computing developed . . . is mind-boggling. . . . [A] pioneering book.”—Nature"There’s no shortage of books out there on China, but Thomas Mullaney’s The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age really is something different. . . . A superbly-researched and original tale."—Engelsberg Ideas"Thick with technical details, but Mullaney’s judicious use of illustrations, charts and anecdotes makes this a thrill for anyone interested in the past—and future—of language and technology."—China Books Review“Tells a fascinating story.”—Centre for International Governance Innovation“At a time when Chinese quantum computers and Chinese AI systems and Chinese electric vehicles absorb all headline buzz and pundit bloviation, Professor Thomas S. Mullaney’s text draws our attention to a humbler and arguably more important technology: the Chinese input method editor (IME). . . . This is essential reading.”—ChinAI"The Chinese Typewriter and The Chinese Computer are two of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. And they’re not just good and interesting, but important to read, for the history they tell and the ideas and arguments they present—I can’t recommend them and Professor Mullaney’s other work enough."—The Gradient