New Light on George Boole

Written for the general reader, this book shows the personal side of a great thinker, who laid the foundation for the Information Age. By the age of 21 Boole was publishing original research in mathematical journals, and in 1849, despite his lack of a degree, he was appointed first Professor of Mathematics at the newly founded Queen's College Cork. In 1854 he published his great work, An Investigation of the Laws of Thought which identifies the basis of mechanized logic. This led to the digital computer which pervades every aspect of our lives today. A highlight of the book is Boole's meeting with Charles Babbage, who invented the Difference Engine, a primitive 19th century computer. There's also a fascinating account of his trip to Germany, his controversial death, and the theory that Boole was the inspiration for Professor James Moriarty, villain of the Sherlock Holmes stories.