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Reviewer: Anthony L. Clapes

Alan Turing was one of the great pioneers in the design and use of stored program computers. Generally speaking, he was brilliant but eccentric, steeped from childhood in the study of science and math and adept in the uses of those subjects. However, he was usually rather ill at ease in casual conversation. This book was written by Turing's mother. Thankfully, there is also a measured foreword by Martin Davis that discusses Turing's experience as a mathematician, a wartime codebreaker, a computer pioneer, and an artificial intelligence (AI) theoretician. There is also an honest remembrance by Turing's older brother, John, that will be received by many as the frosting on the cake. In Sara Turing's telling, her son Alan was a brilliant child, a vigorous long-distance runner, a fabricator of scientific instruments of his own design, and what the casual observer might call a "computer scientist." He was also, it seems, a person who did not suffer fools gladly, but here it should be added that he was generous with his time and wisdom to those of lesser mental skills than his who sincerely wanted to learn. He was a mathematician and an AI theoretician. During the Second World War, he was a superb codebreaker, responsible for decoding messages sent to, from, or within the German military. He was maddening, brilliant, unusual, and unkempt, depending on whether one accepts his mother's view or that of his older brother. The world needed Alan Turing in the early years of computer science, and it still does. Online Computing Reviews Service

Reviewer: Rita Puzmanova

Alan Mathison Turing is now considered one of the greatest figures of the 20th century, yet his name was not recognized beyond mathematical circles until the 1970s, when his work on the breaking of the German Enigma code during World War II was revealed. His contributions to mathematics, logic, informatics, artificial intelligence, and computational biology have gradually become more appreciated since then. This book commemorates the centennial of his birth. It is actually a republication of his mother's biography, originally written in 1959. This 2012 edition offers a new foreword by Martin Davis and a never-before-published memoir by Alan's older brother, John. The latter sheds new light on Alan's relationship with his family, though it does not offer any reasons for his suicide. The book reveals many details from the life and personality of Alan that, though interpreted through a loving mother's eyes, seem sufficiently objective. That is, these details convey much more about the person as a genius than what could be gathered from his works. To the typical reader-likely a modern, practical person overwhelmed with information-the impact of Alan's advancements in scientific theory and practice are more important, but this illumination of his personal life gives perspective. In particular, one can appreciate how much he achieved in his short life. His actual life seems like a thriller or a story from the tabloids, from his secret work during the war to his sudden death, which was not fully clarified until recently. Part 1, "Mainly Biographical," explores his family background (dating back to the 12th century), his childhood, and his studies at Sherborne School. Next is an overview of his university studies and work at King's College, Cambridge, together with his two years at Princeton surrounded by personalities such as Albert Einstein and John von Neumann. His work at Bletchley Park during the war lacks detail because, at the time Sara Turing was writing, that project was still top secret. Important facts are provided on his work at the National Physical Laboratory after the war, and at Manchester University when he worked on the automatic computing machine. This section also describes various efforts to promote his work through broadcasts and lectures. Apart from his involvement in mathematics research, he had other scientific interests, particularly in morphogenesis, biology, chemistry, and artificial brains. Part 2 presents 20 pages of authentic (published) reactions of scientific colleagues to Alan's computing and morphogenesis theories. The book does effectively portray both Alan Turing's life and work. His mother always tried to understand the logic of her son's achievements in mathematics, and kept extensive biographical data on all his works. I recommend this book not only to people interested in Alan's scientific achievements, but to anyone who would like to meet a genius of the modern era. Online Computing Reviews Service