Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition and Still Can't Get a Date
Registered by Molyneux of Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on 2/15/2005
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
2 journalers for this copy...
Amazon.co.uk Review
Robert X. Cringely manages to capture the contradictions and everyday insanity of computer industry empire building, while at the same time chipping away sardonically at the PR campaigns that have built up some very common business people into the household gods of geekdom. Despite some chuckles at the expense of all things nerdy, white and male in the computer industry, Cringely somehow manages to balance the humour with a genuine appreciation of both the technical and strategic accomplishments of these industry luminaries. Whether you're a hard-boiled Silicon Valley marketing exec fishing for an IPO or just a plain old reader with an interest in business history and anecdotal storytelling, there's something to enjoy here.
In his new conclusion, Cringely looks at the likely near-future of the PC industry, arguing that most of the major companies are facing a need to dramatically reformulate their mission in the light of engineering developments already in the works. He offers a new paradigm for the development of the industry as it moves from its early "start up" phase into a more mature, more competitive era. --Jake Bond
Synopsis
This work looks at the business of computing in the US, as computer science, as a business, and as a collection of extraordinary and eccentric characters. After automobiles, energy production, and illegal drugs, personal computers are one of the largest manufacturing industries in the world, and one of the great success stories for American business. This book is linked to a Channel 4 television series entitled "The Triumph of the Nerds".
Robert X. Cringely manages to capture the contradictions and everyday insanity of computer industry empire building, while at the same time chipping away sardonically at the PR campaigns that have built up some very common business people into the household gods of geekdom. Despite some chuckles at the expense of all things nerdy, white and male in the computer industry, Cringely somehow manages to balance the humour with a genuine appreciation of both the technical and strategic accomplishments of these industry luminaries. Whether you're a hard-boiled Silicon Valley marketing exec fishing for an IPO or just a plain old reader with an interest in business history and anecdotal storytelling, there's something to enjoy here.
In his new conclusion, Cringely looks at the likely near-future of the PC industry, arguing that most of the major companies are facing a need to dramatically reformulate their mission in the light of engineering developments already in the works. He offers a new paradigm for the development of the industry as it moves from its early "start up" phase into a more mature, more competitive era. --Jake Bond
Synopsis
This work looks at the business of computing in the US, as computer science, as a business, and as a collection of extraordinary and eccentric characters. After automobiles, energy production, and illegal drugs, personal computers are one of the largest manufacturing industries in the world, and one of the great success stories for American business. This book is linked to a Channel 4 television series entitled "The Triumph of the Nerds".
Released 19 yrs ago (2/19/2005 UTC) at
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Taking to the BC Meet at lunch time today - at the Cherry Tree
Taking to the BC Meet at lunch time today - at the Cherry Tree
Journal Entry 3 by zb from Stanford in the Vale, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Sunday, February 20, 2005
Picked this up at the BC meet at the Cherry Tree yesterday. Am reading another computing novel at the mo (The Bug), so thought I'd carry on along the same theme...
Journal Entry 4 by zb from Stanford in the Vale, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Sunday, August 26, 2007
Finally got around to reading this... and gave up after 4 chapters.
It's basically a potted history of the computing industry, from the viewpoint of 10-30 years ago.
Though it alludes to the odd interesting annecdote, it falls short of actually telling it. So somewhat a pedestrian plod though a rather dated story. First written in 1992 it was updated in 1996 with a new chapter to bring things "up-to-date", but I couldn't be bothered to get that far. Probably quite interesting for someone more geeky than I...
It's basically a potted history of the computing industry, from the viewpoint of 10-30 years ago.
Though it alludes to the odd interesting annecdote, it falls short of actually telling it. So somewhat a pedestrian plod though a rather dated story. First written in 1992 it was updated in 1996 with a new chapter to bring things "up-to-date", but I couldn't be bothered to get that far. Probably quite interesting for someone more geeky than I...
Journal Entry 5 by zb at Coate Water in Swindon, Wiltshire United Kingdom on Sunday, August 26, 2007
Released 16 yrs ago (8/26/2007 UTC) at Coate Water in Swindon, Wiltshire United Kingdom
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