| Author | Stan Kelly-Bootle |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
|
Publication date
|
May 1995 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 256 pages |
| ISBN |
The Computer Contradictionary is a non-fiction book by Stan Kelly-Bootle that compiles a satirical list of definitions of computer industry terms. It is an example of "cynical lexicography" in the tradition of Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary. Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.
The book was published in May 1995 by MIT Press and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's The Devil's DP Dictionary which appeared in 1981.
The Los Angeles Times panned the book, wrote that it was "smartly-titled" but was an "awfully stupid book".ACM Computing Reviews recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".