Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
Adventures from the Technology Underground
By James Grahame
I know a guy who used to work for IBM. His basement is now dedicated to intricate CNC-controlled milling and precision drilling tools. It's a weird hobby, but he's an incredibly interesting and useful person to know.
Author Bill Gurstelle spent several years exploring this technology underground. Or, as he puts it, "the scintillating subculture of amateur inventors and scientific envelope-pushers who dream up, design, and build machines that whoosh, rumble, fly—and occasionally hurl pumpkins across enormous distances."
Adventures from the Technology Underground is a 224 page hardcover book based on his encounters in this sometimes bizarre but always interesting sub-culture. This is guaranteed to be fun reading if giant Tesla coils, pipe organs made from jet engines, and Skycars are your idea of a good night out.
Adventures from the Technology Underground: Catapults, Pulsejets, Rail Guns, Flamethrowers, Tesla Coils, Air Cannons, and the Garage Warriors Who Love Them
