Run Your Own Home Business - Coralee Smith Kern - Paperback Book

A glimpse back in time to the beginning of the computer era from a business/user point of view...

short plot description: it is the year 1947. J Lyons & company (a catering company in the UK) sends two employees to the US to resarch what's new in the world of business management. Not impressed with most of what they find they have one important thing to report: the implied potential in the "electronic brain". The company sees the possibilities implied in the new technology but at the time there was no company to whom they could turn for help. And so without much fanfare they decide to build their own computer, starting by sponsoring the EDSAC developed at the University of Cambridge Mathematical Laboratory and then based on that design building their own computer the LEO I (Lyons Electronic Office) and integrating the computer successfully into their business. Once word of this gets around they get their first inquiries and off we go...

my thoughts: I put the book down with mixed feelings since I thought the book had some weaknesses. First the book is different from most books on computer history (say "Engines of the mind" by Joel Shurkin) in that it is very light on the technical details (almost no hardware, some software) but focuses on the business side of "Why" and "How" of the LEO story and the people who made it happen which made it for me in parts a dry read since I'm not a business person. The book is split in several parts, first David Carminer (1915-2008, RIP) gives an overview of the years 1947-1968 (when LEO finally folded), then other involved people give their personal accounts. I found this a bit problematic since the first part of the book ends in 1968 and with the turning of the page I found myself back in 1947. Maybe an outsider/third person approach (think Steven Levy's "Hackers - Heroes of the Computer Revulution") which consolidated all the different accounts and views into a coherent narrative would have worked better. Third and last complaint is a felt lack of context. We get told what they did and why they did it but the average reader (defined here as someone who isn't an accountant/businessman and who doesn't know much about computers) will probably be puzzled what actually it was that was so groundbreaking.
That out of the way I think if you have the right background (some knowledge of accounting, inventory control, invoicing and some background in computing) this is a fascinating read. More than once I blinked, put the book down, thought "they did what? no way" and actually did quick research on the web to confirm some facts.
Also very interesting I found the discussions regarding the approach to business computing. The LEO staff down to the last person are proponents of a integrated way, analysing the business needs of a customer and if necessary changing the way the business is run to make the best possible use of technology and not "shoehorning" technology for technology's sake (and to make a quick sale) into a business though they readily admit that this was probably the downfall for LEO.
Some other interesting points are made regarding technology and innovation, some good food for thought.
In the end this book is a sometimes dry, almost humble account of early business computing which downplays the fact that LEO was a groundbreaking accomplishment. Starting with nothing more than a vision what computers could do and a basic design of a prototype computer they did get software projects done which even in today's world with almost depressing regularly fail.

my advice: this is not for the casual reader. You need some background in business and accounting to fully appreciate the book and ultimately the achievements of LEO.
If you have the background, read it (and weep thinking on how business computing could actually be done today).