Microchip: An Idea, Its Genesis, And The Revolution It Created

by Jeffrey Zygmont

Book Overview

Computer chips are an almost invisible part of our modern lives, and yet they make much of what's "modern" in them possible. Even the tech-averse and the tech-opposed among us depend on their hidden... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738205613
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Just what I was looking for

I'm not a scientist or a professional reviewer. I like to read about a wide variety of topics. While I hope for accuracy, I don't "fact check" and I am not outraged that Cal Tech might have been slighted in this account. I liked the Microchip. In fact, I enjoyed it more than I thought I might. It was easy to follow and I enjoyed the human drama - rather than diagrams that one reviewer claimed were necessary for the book to be any good. I thought the chapter titles were clever - it's the kind of thing I notice - it's what a "casual" reader might appreciate and for whom I imagine the book was written. I was reminded just how much the microchip has permeated out lives. Just what I was looking for!

A great story

What a great story. Zygmont takes material that a lot of other authors make too dense, too complicated and too technical, and he turns it into a book that's interesting and accessible for any well-rounded, intelligent reader. The book moves fast and it's actually fun to read because it tells me not just how and why chips developed, but why it's important for me to know. A person who thinks he's already an expert and an insider might feel threatened by this book, because it demystifies the story of the chip. I guess that makes them feel less important. But for the rest of us, it's great.

Well written, accessible account of Microchip drama

Even if you are not interested in microchip evolution and the undeniable impact it has made on our daily lives, you should read this book to understand the dilemma posed by creative scientists whose inventions and creative energies transcend the limitations of the times. This is the story of free enterprise as a uniquely American phenomenon. An added bonus is, this book is written in a richly loquacius style that makes every sentence a study in grammatical prowness. Even if you have no interest in the microchips, read this book for the beauty of the syntax.