"There's my education in computers, right there; this is the whole thing, everything I took out of a book"

Howard Aiken was an American physicist and computer scientist who is credited with developing the very first programmable computer. In this quote, he is describing his education in computers. He is saying that all of his understanding of computer systems originated from books, and that he did not have any formal education in the subject. This quote speaks with the power of self-education and the significance of reading and gaining from books. It also speaks to Aiken's devotion to learning and his passion for computers. He was able to acquire a deep understanding of computer systems and programming through his own self-education, and this quote functions as a pointer of the importance of knowing and the power of understanding.