200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Devil in the Stack

A Coding Odyssey
By Andrew Smith
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.92 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 101 ratings, 26 reviews)
Brief Description
Throughout history, technological revolutions have been driven by the invention of machines. But today, the power of the technology transforming our world lies in an intangible and impenetrable cosmos of software: algorithmic code. In a world increasingly governed by technologies that so few can comprehend, who—or... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3700
Elsewhere:
$3999
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

An immersive, alarming, sharp-eyed journey into the bizarre world of computer code, told through the author's attempt to become a coder himself.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Throughout history, technological revolutions have been driven by the invention of machines. But today, the power of the technology transforming our world lies in an intangible and impenetrable cosmos of software: algorithmic code.

In a world increasingly governed by technologies that so few can comprehend, who—or what—controls the future? Devil in the Stack follows Andrew Smith on his immersive trip into the world of coding, passing through the stories of logic, machine-learning and early computing, from Ada Lovelace to Alan Turing, and up to the present moment, behind the scenes into the lives—and minds—of the pioneers of the 21st century: those who write code.

Smith embarks on a quest to understand this sect in what he believes to be the only way possible: by learning to code himself. Expansive and effervescent, Devil in the Stack delivers a portrait of code as both a vivid culture and an impending threat.

By turns revelatory, unsettling and joyously funny, this is an essential book for our times, of vital interest to anyone hoping to participate in the future-defining technological debates to come.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781805463009

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 August 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Atlantic Books

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 154.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 605g

Pages: 464

Collections

Andrew Smith Best Sellers at Book Hero Computing & Technology Education & Reference Gifts $20-$50 In Stock Books Non-Fiction Science & Nature

About the Author

Andrew Smith has worked as a critic and feature writer for the Sunday Times, the Guardian, the Observer and The Face, and has penned documentaries for the BBC. He is the author of the internationally bestselling book Moondust, about the nine remaining men who walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972, and Totally Wired. He was raised in the UK and currently lives in California.

Also by Andrew Smith

View all
  • Moondust
    A revised and updated edition of the classic work to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the first moon landing 'It left me spellbound ... belongs to the same tradition as Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff' Sunday Times 'Fascinating. A wonderful book' David Bowie Spellbinding ... A wonderful collective biography written with deftness, compassion and humour' Observer The Apollo Moon Programme...
    By Andrew Smith
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from Computing & Technology

View all
  • Digital Minimalism
    Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport presents a revolutionary strategy for optimising your interaction with digital technology in a way that fosters productivity, focus, happiness, and creativity. Most of us recognise that our reliance on texting, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is not due to sheer lack of intelligence or depth, but because these platforms truly offer significant value in the form...
    By Cal Newport
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    28% off
    New Release
    The Power of One
    For readers of CARELESS PEOPLE: this is the shocking true story of the Facebook engineer who blew the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets. Soon to be a major film, THE SOCIAL RECKONING, directed by Aaron Sorkin. In September 2021, the Wall Street Journal published the 'Facebook Files' - tens of thousands of internal documents leaked by Facebook...
    By Frances Haugen
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    16% off
    If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
    The founder of the field of AI risk explains why superintelligent AI is a global suicide bomb and we must halt development immediately. AI is the greatest threat to our existence that we have ever faced. The technology may be complex but the facts are simple. We are currently on a path to build superintelligent AI. When we do, it...
    By Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    28% off
    The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI
    Whether you want to criticise, kill, or use AI, you have to get through the hype and uncover the real story. Start with labour: in automation theory, a centaur is a person who chooses to use technology to help them do the things that matter to them. A reverse centaur is a person who has been conscripted to serve as...
    By Cory Doctorow
    Paperback
    $2800
    Usually:
    $3899
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    17% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Empire of AI
    An eye-opening account of the tech arms race shaping our planet, from an award-winning journalist and AI insider to the world of Sam Altman and OpenAI. When longtime AI expert and journalist Karen Hao first began covering OpenAI in 2019, she thought they were the good guys. Founded as a nonprofit with safety enshrined as its core mission, it was...
    By Karen Hao
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3700
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    End Times Fascism
    A blistering expose of the new far-right apocalyptic alliance that's on the move around the globe - and how we resist. The far right is on the march again - but this time it's different. A new, apocalyptic alliance of religious fundamentalists, billionaire Silicon Valley tech kings and ethno-nationalists is on the move. They're united in their belief that some...
    By Astra Taylor and Naomi Klein
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Open to Work
    ‘Open To Work helps you stop fearing the future and start shaping it with purpose.’ Jay Shetty‘An instantly useful guide to futureproofing your career.’ Adam Grant‘Open to Work lays out a smart and clear path to the future of work’ Brené Brown In a world where AI is transforming work at a rapid pace, Open to Work is your essential...
    By Aneesh Raman and Ryan Roslansky
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Careless People
    Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook's potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there...
    By Sarah Wynn-Williams
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • How to Win At Chess
    Learn chess from International Master and YouTube's top chess teacher Levy Rozman (aka GothamChess) in this refreshing and fun guide for beginner and intermediate players. How to Win at Chess teaches you everything you need to know about the game, including all the important moves and strategies to start off strong and keep you thinking several steps ahead. Full of...
    By Levy Rozman and GothamChess
    Hardback
    $4000
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    12% off
    The Amazing Generation
    A children's version of the global bestseller The Anxious Generation How can we live a happy and exciting life without a smartphone? The Anxious Generation started a world-changing conversation about the effects of smartphones and social media on young people. Now bestselling authors Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price have teamed up to talk directly to those young people about how...
    By Catherine Price and Jonathan Haidt
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Book cover for 'Apple: The First 50 Years' by David Pogue, featuring a minimalist white background with black text and a stylized white iPod touch graphic in the center.
    On Sale
    24% off
    Apple
    On April 1, 1976, two scruffy twentysomethings, both named Steve, founded a startup. Their goal: To bring the revolutionary power of computers to everyone. Over the next five decades, Apple reshaped the technology and cultural landscapes, introducing the public to breakthroughs like the mouse, laser printing, CD-ROM, WiFi, digital video, home networking, touchscreen phones, and tablets. Jobs’s obsessive eye for...
    By David Pogue
    Hardback
    $6100
    Elsewhere:
    $9000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    17% off
    Life 3.0
    In Life 3.0, Max Tegmark explores the profound implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on our future, delving into its potential to reshape every facet of our existence. The book illustrates a near-future where AI has transcended its current limitations, influencing and transforming everything from warfare and criminal justice to employment and societal structures. At its core, it challenges us to...
    By Max Tegmark
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.