Passages from the Life of a Philosopher

Passages from the Life of a Philosopher is a series of snapshots from the life of Charles Babbage, dubbed the "father of the computer" for his invention of the Difference Engine, or the first mechanical computer. In this pseudo-biography (which Babbage declares in his Preface that it is not), he details life growing up, experimentation and discovery during his time at Cambridge, and experiences with and recollections of a variety of substances, people, and places. Chapters include "Difference Engine No. 1," "Recollections of the Duke of Wellington," "Experience by Fire," "Street Nuisances," "Religion," and "The Author's Contributions to Human Knowledge," among others. CHARLES BABBAGE (1791-1871) was a British engineer, inventor, mathematician, and philosopher. He is considered the "father of the computer" for pioneering the concept of a programmable computer and his invention of the first mechanical computer, which he called the "difference engine." Babbage made noteworthy contributions to cryptography, engineering, economics, and the modern postal system in England.