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Ask HN: Is there a good book on IT/Silicon Valley history?

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Ask HN: Is there a good book on IT/Silicon Valley history?

#1
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?

Re: Ask HN: Is there a good book on IT/Silicon Valley history?

#7
post #5

Not a book but excellent history nontheless "Triumph of the Nerds" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115398/

Another 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)

Re: Ask HN: Is there a good book on IT/Silicon Valley history?

#8
Not 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

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