The Bug

By: Ellen Ullman

Published July 13th 2004 by Anchor (first published 2003)

Category: Business

Pages: 368 pages

ISBN: 9781400032358

Description:
In 1984, at the dawn of the personal-computer era, novice software tester Roberta Walton stumbles across a bug. She brings it to its inadvertent creator, longtime programmer Ethan Levin, and the two embark on a hunt for the elusive bug, nicknamed ÒThe JesterÓ for its tendency to appear randomly and only at the least opportune moments, jeopardizing the fate of the company. EthanÕs attempts to find a solution soon become a frightening obsession that threatens to destroy both his professional and personal life. Roberta, on the other hand, is drawn to the challenge. Forced to learn how to program, and seeking refuge from her own private troubles, she becomes enthralled with learning to speak the computerÕs language. Expertly merging code with prose, big ideas with intensely personal stories, Ellen Ullman brilliantly illuminates the space between human beings and computersÑa space we occupy every day as we peer into our monitors.