One of the books advertised on the back:
NUMERICAL CONTROL: Mathematics and Applications
P. Bézier. Professeur au Conservatoire National des Artes et Métiers and Technological Development Manager, Renault, France.
This book deals with the design of numerically controlled machine tools and their uses. In addition, however, it contains a review of mathematical techniques for describing shapes to be produced by numerically controlled machines. It is written by a mathematically sophisticated production engineer who has a successful system operating. It is aimed at academic and industrial research workers as well as the more sophisticated production engineers.
1972.
Yes, that Bézier, obviously. I suppose it shouldn't surprise me to come across something like this, but if you had asked me to guess I would have put Bézier and his curves back a 100 years before that.