Cool Tech

by Clive Gifford, Mike Goldsmith

Cool Tech is a thrilling journey through the physical side of the virtual world.

Marvel at the technology that keeps you connected, from the ships installing lines deep in the ocean, the robots locating wire breaks, the satellites beaming signals across the earth, the teams retrieving and splicing lines together, to the servers directing and feeding internet traffic around the world. Plus, take a look back at the history of the internet, exploring the people and inventions that led to its creation and tour a virtual museum to see how the technology has progressed over the years changing the lives of ordinary people everywhere.

Genres: Technology, Nonfiction, Childrens

128 pages, Hardcover

First published July 18, 2011

About the author

Clive Gifford is a highly experienced journalist and author with over 170 books published and more than 800 features and stories written for adults and children.

Clive is an unusual author who likes to work in both fiction and non-fiction. Perhaps this reflects his unusual life which, so far, has seen him travel to over 70 countries, be held hostage in Colombia, go parachuting, coach several sports and run a computer games company.

He says: "What drives me more than anything else is the desire to communicate, entertain and inform through the written word."

Reviews

[Menglong Youk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells a brief history behind our technology illustrated by their colorful graphics. It's not actually the book you might want to read if you prefer to go deep into each invention, but it's enough for those who want to know the basics.

[Yuvaraj kothandaraman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Cool Tech" by Clive Gifford (published by DK Publishing in 2011) is a lavishly illustrated guide to contemporary technology that attempts to cover everything from the earliest computers to modern robotics, social media, gaming, and digital cameras. With 140 pages packed with photographs, infographics, and concise explanations, this book reads like a beautifully designed encyclopedia for anyone curious about how modern technology actually works.

DK Publishing's signature style dominates the book, every single page features high-quality photographs, colorful diagrams, and thoughtful illustrations that break up text into digestible chunks. The book covers 12 main areas: calculators and computers, the internet and World Wide Web, gaming, digital media, artificial intelligence and robotics, and various enabling technologies like networks, servers, and smartphone innovations. The visual approach makes complex technical subjects accessible to readers who might otherwise find technology documentation intimidating.

The design truly serves the content. Rather than dense paragraphs, information appears as bullet points, callout boxes, and side-by-side comparisons. This makes the book work equally well as a cover-to-cover read or as a reference you dip into for specific topics.

The book opens strongly with computer history. It explains Charles Babbage's Difference Engine with its 25,000 iron and brass parts, and his more ambitious Analytical Engine conceived in the 1830s, a steam-driven mechanical computer with a "mill" (central processor) and "store" (memory), uncannily like modern computers nearly 200 years before electronics were invented. Grace Hopper's contributions to programming and the development of the first compilers receive proper credit, including the origin of the term "bug" after a moth was trapped in a computer at Harvard.

The chronological evolution from ENIAC (1947) weighing 27,000 kg with 17,468 vacuum tubes to modern silicon chips that could fit ENIAC's functionality onto a single wafer demonstrates computing's exponential advancement. The detail about six female mathematicians programming ENIAC, when "Computer" was their actual job title adds important social history often missing from tech books.

The sections on the Internet and World Wide Web are particularly well-structured. Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the Web at CERN is covered thoroughly, including the specific components he needed: HTML (hypertext markup language), HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol), the first web browser, and the first web server. A memorable detail is the note Berners-Lee wrote on the first server: "This machine is a server. Do not power it down."

The book explains how undersea fiber-optic cables carry 90 percent of global Internet traffic, with over 500,000 miles of cable underwater. An interesting anecdote notes that sharks were attracted to the early transatlantic cables, causing breaks—they were later enclosed in protective casings. The book also mentions that around 90 percent of Internet traffic between North America and Latin America flows through a single building in Miami (the Terremark data center).

The coverage of Silicon Valley as a tech hub is informative and well-illustrated. The book traces how Fairchild Semiconductor pioneered computer-circuit technology in the 1950s, and how ex-Fairchild employees formed more than 60 companies by 1972, establishing Silicon Valley's identity. Key companies are covered: Intel (founded 1968, became world's largest semiconductor company by 1992), Hewlett Packard (started in a garage in 1938), Xerox PARC (which pioneered optical disks, laser printing, and Windows-style interfaces), and Apple's evolution from Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak's garage startup to a global brand.

One detail stands out: twelve days after cofounding Apple, Ronald Wayne sold his 10 percent share for just $800 which would now be worth billions. The book doesn't criticize this historical transaction, but it certainly highlights the importance of timing and belief in a company's future.

The sections on social networking are data-heavy and current (for 2011). The book documents Facebook reaching 500 million members, Mark Zuckerberg's founding of the platform from a Harvard dorm, the various language versions (including Pirate and Esperanto), and the revelation that 69 percent of Facebook gamers are women surprising at the time. Global social networking variations are covered: Mixi in Japan, Ibibo in India, VKontakt in Russia, Qzone in China, and Orkut's popularity in Brazil and India.

Twitter's statistics are included: 95 million tweets written daily on average, 175 million users by October 2010, and facts about celebrity usage like Ashton Kutcher's dedication (6,368 tweets as of December 2010) and Lady Gaga being the most-followed person with 7.2 million followers.

The laptop section is excellently explained. Components are labeled and described clearly: LCD screen (measured diagonally), keyboard (which are switches), motherboard (housing CPU, memory, system clock), hard drive (magnetic storage spinning at 5,400-10,000 RPM), heat sink, and lithium-ion battery. This hands-on breakdown helps readers understand what's inside their devices.

However, some sections become overly simplified. The artificial intelligence chapter mentions that AI could pass the Turing test but doesn't deeply explore what that means or the ongoing debate about whether passing Turing tests actually demonstrates consciousness or intelligence. The robotics section covers robot types and Mars rovers but glosses over the complexity of autonomous decision-making.

The book has some notable omissions for a 2011 publication. Mobile computing gets decent coverage (smartphones, text talk, the concept of "eye in the sky" referring to satellite navigation), but the explosion of app-based ecosystems receives minimal attention. There's no serious discussion of privacy concerns on social networks or the data collection practices that would become central to technology criticism in the following years.

The section on "The Bad Side of the Web" covers cyber-bullying, spam, viruses, phishing, and scams, but treats them somewhat lightly. Given the book's target audience appears to be young people and students, deeper exploration of these digital dangers might have been valuable. The password security section lists "Top 10 weak passwords" (including "password" and "123456"), but doesn't explain why strong passwords matter as intensely as it could.

For a 2011 publication, the book is impressively current. It includes information about 2010 statistics (cloud computing adoption, broadband speeds, internet penetration rates by region showing China with 420 million users—the largest absolute number but only 34.5 percent penetration). The geographic bandwidth maps show exactly where internet infrastructure concentrated, with North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific dominating capacity.

However, some predictions haven't aged well. The "What Next?" section suggests future developments but avoids specific predictions, which is wise. However, reading about "augmented reality" as an emerging technology and "e-readers" as novel devices now feels quaintly dated after the iPad revolution and smartphone ubiquity that followed publication.

The book works best for readers aged 12-18 (including adults seeking a technology primer). The balance of visual and textual information suits younger audiences, while the depth of coverage,history, economics, geopolitics of internet infrastructure, gaming industry evolution appeals to older teens and adults seeking a reference guide.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book have allot of cool information from past to present, some pages they have behind those gadgets how it works with using everyday. I was vary amazing this book have allot of facts, history, behind Company (Major) and How is works! So what why its all about technology in our world.

There is a problem some book like this one, they repeat same thing only a different view. I did bring 2 book and it a familiar view it was call Scholastic Discover More Technology with same author. However I do recommend this book there is more fact but both have same things only with one different view point.

[Marilyn Getts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable for all ages, has the insides of an e-reader and and iphone. Finally a little up to date.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had some cool facts in it about how to keep my computer safe.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Asher (9yo) didn't really read the whole thing - mostly skimmed through it - he thought it had some neat information.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book of technology!