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Most histories of the personal computer industry focus on technology or business. John Markoff's landmark book is about the culture and consciousne...
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Oct 20, 2011
David
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This book is amazing, it details the rise of personal computers and the internet out of psychedelic drugs and counterculture in a way that actually sort of depresses you when you see the couple of forks in the road at which, under slightly less...personality-driven decision-making, we'll call it, the personal computing industry could have been the lifesaver upon which the counterculture could have grasped as it began to drown in military-industrial command economic tyranny's bloodocean, along wi
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Jun 15, 2009
Brian
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The San Francisco Bay Area has a long history as a center for the political left and the counterculture. It is also an important center for the development of computers and the Internet. The heyday of the counterculture, the late sixties and early seventies, was a critical moment in the development of computer technology. How did the wave of popular social transformation influence the development of computing, itself a source of further significant social and political transformation?
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Feb 05, 2010
Natali
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First the good: A very inspirational read for anyone who loves computers and history. Markoff tells the the underground tale of how personal computers evolved out of a (sometimes illicit) counterculture in the 1960s in the San Francisco Bay Area. The story made me homesick for the independent, creative, and brilliant spirit that permeates the Bay Area. I am proud to be from there.
Now a few drawbacks: The book is a little hard to follow because there were so many players. I really wa More...
Now a few drawbacks: The book is a little hard to follow because there were so many players. I really wa More...
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Dec 10, 2010
Tommy
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Having first read "Fire in the Valley", I was a bit more in line with the various individuals that comprise this particular history. That said, Markoff provides a lot more information on the "why" to the story of the personal computer than "Fire in the Valley" did. Its the perfect follow-on to the academic aspect from "Fire". The storyline and characters come and go throughout the book -- and while it can be a bit confusing, the final chapter actually roll
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Feb 03, 2012
Liam
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"In the late 1950s, however, McCarthy's notion was prescient and and similar to Doug Engelbart's Augmentation machine. However, they re,aomed fundamentally different concepts. At the deepest level, the question was whether humans would remain in the loop. Brilliant machines that could both mimic and surpass human capabilities were not what Engelbart foresaw, and although the two camps didn't directly quarrel they did pursue opposite agendas, representing humanist and mechanist ideas abou
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Feb 01, 2011
Angela
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Psychedelics and computer history, two of my favorite topics. This book would have been improved if I'd had the patience to chart a timeline while I was writing it, I think, because as other reviewers have stated, it's very difficult to keep track of the main characters. The structure isn't organized strictly by time (it jumps back and forth between years, particularly towards the end) or by subject (making it difficult to remember who a particular player is, when their only previous appearance
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Jul 20, 2009
Jon
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Strictly as a historical piece, I really loved this one. I'm a technology freak and I love computers. To me, this book chronologically conveyed exactly what the title says; the counterculture and how it played a role in computing as we all know it today. This book really starts in the 50s and covers SAIL, MIT, and other places instrumental in early digital (and analog) computing history. More important than the places talked about are the people, though. I learned more about the people invo
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Sep 15, 2010
Jacob / Julie
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I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of technology, and how society shapes and is shaped by technology. It's hard to imagine in this era when computers are everywhere -- laptops, phones, video games -- and where people have personal access to their computers that it used to be that computers were something to be afraid of, these cold-war-era behemoths that only large corporations or governments possessed and which took teams of people to maintain. This book gives a
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Nov 12, 2007
tamarack
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i read this book in the kitchen nook over my midday meal on non-work days. it's a pretty rad documentary of the birth of computer technology in hippie-radical berkeley. i kind of felt just-along-for-the-ride on this book since i can't begin to keep all the names and profiles straight as markoff moves through decades. there's no particular protagonist, and it's not a biography unless it's a biography of The Computer. regardless, i do enjoy the ride.
it's somehow encouraging to read of the al More...
it's somehow encouraging to read of the al More...
Mar 19, 2009
Frankie
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A great historical account of the birth of Silicon Valley, and a must-read for all Valley types. As with all such books, I have to wonder about the complete accuracy of some of the stories, but I think its main points are strong and interesting. I was lucky enough to hear the author speak (at a work event, no less!), and listening to him for an hour was enough to hook me on this book.
May 13, 2010
Jim
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Fans of Steven Levy's "Hackers: Heros of the computer revolution" will
probably enjoy this - it covers 60s and 70s research at Stanford and PARC, esp. Doug Engelbart, who was an early proponent of personal computing at a time when the idea seemed insane.
The gimmick of the book is to tie all the subjects to the heady era of the late 60s and LSD use, hence the title.
probably enjoy this - it covers 60s and 70s research at Stanford and PARC, esp. Doug Engelbart, who was an early proponent of personal computing at a time when the idea seemed insane.
The gimmick of the book is to tie all the subjects to the heady era of the late 60s and LSD use, hence the title.
Oct 07, 2011
Michael
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This book gives a great history about the most important people and events leading up to the creation of the personal computing industry. I understand the culture behind computers much better thanks to this book. The narrative follows a variety of (often zany or unusual) characters and ties each character's impact into the central thread. I like the way the author ties together the different characters and shows where they interacted and how they affected each other.
The book was usua More...
The book was usua More...
Jan 03, 2012
Tom
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I am finding this is making a great introduction to reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. I never knew before of the radical activism of the genesis of personal computing: Computer power for the people! I also never knew that Bill Gates has been getting nicked by software piract since personal computers where solely in the domain of hobbyists. This books sheds light on the such important visionaries and innovators previously unknown to me as interface dreamer Doug Engelbart, ardent
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Apr 12, 2010
Brian
rated it:
It took me a while to get through this one...
The multitude of players and stories is somewhat difficult to follow, but overall the narration gives a decent impression of what the Stanford/NorCal scene was like, and who was involved, as computing technology was being developed.
A good bit of the history seems anecdotal, and the connections between counterculture and computer R&D seem strained. I didn't finish this book thinking that PC development was a direct result of an More...
The multitude of players and stories is somewhat difficult to follow, but overall the narration gives a decent impression of what the Stanford/NorCal scene was like, and who was involved, as computing technology was being developed.
A good bit of the history seems anecdotal, and the connections between counterculture and computer R&D seem strained. I didn't finish this book thinking that PC development was a direct result of an More...
Jan 08, 2009
Matthew
rated it:
Nothing overly mind expanding, but very enjoyable. Great narrative of how these fascinating individuals were drawn to the San Fran area around the same time and how their pursuits - some only tangentially related to computers or electronics - wound up drastically changing the future.
Sep 18, 2011
Samuel
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I really wanted to like this book. I find the history of computers and the Internet to be a fascinating subject. However, this book is dense. Very dense. I'm going to have to shelve this and return to it another time.
Aug 30, 2009
Felix
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An interesting and entertaining history of the early days of the personal computer industry in Northern California. Proof that dreams and ideas are powerful and although they may be ahead of their time, can come to fruition. If you are interested in the history of the computer industry, read this book.
Dec 26, 2009
Refreshing to hear of the contributions to technology made outside of MIT, which has always seemed disproportionately documented, and to hear about the various cultural influences as well.
Mar 26, 2009
Morgan
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How a bunch of social misfits and hippies made the personal computer and made the computer, personal. It was starched white shirts and country club memberships that piloted what we know today as our laptops and desktops, but folks who wanted to enhance their minds, expand their art and decentralize authority.
Jun 28, 2009
Andrew
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This is really more like three-and-a-half stars -- there are a lot of interesting stories, and it evokes the time/place very well. "Information wants to be free," huh?
May 23, 2011
Molto interessante e complementare a diversi altri libri fondamentali come "Hackers" e "Dealers of Lightning".
Aug 08, 2008
Dan
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This is not a great book -- at times it feels like the author is just dumping information on you. But it did give me a feel for what the sixties in the bay area and the early days of personal computing.
Highlights:
- Reading about the history of the AMPEX sign that I see every day on US-101.
- In the early sixties, there was a "startup" dedicated to the use of LSD in business to enhance the creative thinking of management. Makes you realize how many associations ha More...
Highlights:
- Reading about the history of the AMPEX sign that I see every day on US-101.
- In the early sixties, there was a "startup" dedicated to the use of LSD in business to enhance the creative thinking of management. Makes you realize how many associations ha More...
Mar 16, 2011
Brian
rated it:
60s counterculture and its relationship to the development of the personal computer. Gave to Dad Christmas 2006. Everything happens in and around Stanford. Focused on early early history of personal computer, most names I didn't know. Not organized well...treats like one long article and bounces around.
Jul 25, 2007
Patrick
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I enjoyed this quite a bit; if nothing else for all the Stanford/Bay Area landmarks that are mentioned; I think of this book whenever I see the Ampex sign on 101. There's definitely a side of computer history that I was not aware of before reading this book.
Dec 16, 2009
Maciek
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An interesting overview of the birth of personal computing in the middle of the Bay Area counterculture. It doesn't really weave as great a yarn as I'd hoped (it's more of a bunch of loosely related stories), but it's still worth a read.
Oct 19, 2008
Devin
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This book will open your eyes to an area of computer history. This is a must read in your course on computer history.
