# Man and the Computer by John G. Kemeny

6 Hacker News commenters recommended Man and the Computer by John G. Kemeny and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** A 1972 book by the co-creator of BASIC, recommended for how accurately it predicted home computers, the internet and online news decades early.

## Why people recommend it

- Predicts modern technology decades early (2 comments): "Predicts the rise of home computers, the internet, Wikipedia, online news, and a bunch of other modern technologies decades before they actually existed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50029573)) "I found his book "Man and the Computer" particularly prescient." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46178607))
- Chapter 5 is especially worth reading (2 comments): "Read Chapter 5, the "Symbiote or Parasite" one you've partially quoted here. It's a real banger." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49105991)) "Everyone in Silly Valley needs to read chapter 5 ASAP." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49105038))
- Fascinating and full of quotable material (2 comments): "I skimmed it, many quotable stuff[1], fascinating" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49105885)) "it is fascinating reading" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49104317))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684130092?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780684130095) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Man and the Computer by John G. Kemeny", https://hackerapproved.com/p/man-and-the-computer/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).