It is hard to imagine that something so important to our daily lives has been around for less than 70 years. People use computers today to calculate, store information, send messages, control other machines, and even to play games. Inventing the Computer tells the incredible story of computers and their inventors, from the early days when computers performed simple functions and filled entire rooms to today's compact, super-fast supercomputers. Topics include - computers as machines that add and analyze - Colossus I and the race to break enemy codes in World War II - computer codes, transistors and chips, software and peripherals - the personal computer - computers of the future Teacher's guide available.