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Ask HN: Is there a good book on IT/Silicon Valley history?
Whenever I read about a technology company or a smart mind in the field, and I surf Wikipedia, I am most often left with a feeling of a very small tech world: some of the most interesting technology we use today has been invented in a garage and then been acquired by a "big tech corporation" which itself was likely been founded in another garage. And people involved in those fields are well known amongst each other.
Of course, the valley plays a big role in that field which leads to even fewer distances between the "stories" and thus, more interconnection between them.
Since I love to read inspiring biographies, I wonder if there is a biography of the industry-a book about the who is who of tech and/or the valley which would make a delightful and inspiring read.
Any ideas?
- pneill 10y agoAccidental Empires
- BishoyDemian 10y agoCurrently reading this book. Although not a great fit for "history", but it is a great story kind of book with a few good points of advice here and there.
- kbrowne 10y ago_Fire In The Valley_, by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine.
- mtmail 10y agoNerds 2.0.1, by Stephen Segaller
- programd 10y agoNot a book but excellent history nontheless "Triumph of the Nerds" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115398/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115398/
- LarryMade2 10y agoAnother great video is American Experience: Silicon Valley One oldie but goodie is Silicon Valley Fever (1984) - which goes into how the how things happened to make it the innovation machine for the 60s-80s (electronics, video games, early computers - pre-internet)
- ryanlm 10y agoNot a book, but the computer history museum has a silicon valley exhibit.
- meagher 10y agoNot comprehensive by any means, but The New New Thing, by Michael Lewis, tells an interesting story about Jim Clark, and his role in founding Silicon Graphics, Netscape, myCFO, and Healtheon (later called WebMD). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_New_Thing https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_New_Thing
- nyddle 10y agoHeard good things about The Silicon Boys, although it seems a bit dated. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1274944.The_Silicon_Boys http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1274944.The_Silicon_Boys
- shklnrj 10y agoWell Patrick Collision, the founder of Stripe has an interest in silicon valley history. He maintains a list of recommended books on this topics on his personal website here- https://patrickcollison.com/svhistory https://patrickcollison.com/svhistory
- natvert 10y agonot a book, but an excellent story about the valley's early days: Something Ventured https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Ventured https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Ventured http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1737747/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1737747/