<p>Information Retrieval is at the core of our daily lives. Modern search, ranking and indexing systems underpinned by enhanced computing power, fast network speeds and near unlimited data storage capacity mean we have easy access to all the information we need, when we need it. Yet the principles upon which this modern technology based date back to before the 1960s.</p><p>In this concise history of the early years of Information Retrieval, Donna Harman, one of the pioneers of the field, provides the reader with a plethora of insights into the important work that led us to where we are today. Written in a chronological order and in a manner that presents the technical context, the research and the early commercialization efforts, it lays out how each contribution built on what went before. The reader is offered a text that is not only a delight to read, but is also insightful in the way the technologies evolve as computing power increases.</p><p><em>Information Retrieval: The Early Years</em> will be of interest to everyone with an interest in understanding the foundations of the science behind search engines.</p>