Moore's Law: The Life of Gordon Moore, Silicon Valley's Quiet Revolutionary

by Arnold Thackray, David C. Brock, Rachel Jones

Our world today -- from the phone in your pocket to the car that you drive, the allure of social media to the strategy of the Pentagon -- has been shaped irrevocably by the technology of silicon transistors. Year after year, for half a century, these tiny switches have enabled ever-more startling capabilities. Their incredible proliferation has altered the course of human history as dramatically as any political or social revolution. At the heart of it all has been one quiet Gordon Moore. At Fairchild Semiconductor, his seminal Silicon Valley startup, Moore -- a young chemist turned electronics entrepreneur -- had the defining silicon transistors, and microchips made of them, could make electronics profoundly cheap and immensely powerful. Microchips could double in power, then redouble again in clockwork fashion. History has borne out this insight, which we now call "Moore's Law", and Moore himself, having recognized it, worked endlessly to realize his vision. With Moore's technological leadership at Fairchild and then at his second start-up, the Intel Corporation, the law has held for fifty years. The result is from the days of enormous, clunky computers of limited capability to our new era, in which computers are placed everywhere from inside of our bodies to the surface of Mars. Moore led nothing short of a revolution. In Moore's Law, Arnold Thackray, David C. Brock, and Rachel Jones give the authoritative account of Gordon Moore's life and his role in the development both of Silicon Valley and the transformative technologies developed there. Told by a team of writers with unparalleled access to Moore, his family, and his contemporaries, this is the human story of man and a career that have had almost superhuman effects. The history of twentieth-century technology is littered with overblown "revolutions." Moore's Law is essential reading for anyone seeking to learn what a real revolution looks like.

Genres: Biography, Technology, Business, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook

562 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2015

Reviews

[Scott Pantall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was this book long or was this book long?

Moore's law is an integral part of computer science and the tech industry in general. The author started at the movement of the Moore family to California during the gold rush and ended with asking about the possible end of Moore's law today. That's a REALLY big time frame which took me a REALLY long time to read. Gordon Moore has a big influence on our lives which may excuse the length of the book, but wow did it feel like a long read.

[Robert Sparrenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected find at the library last week details the life of Gordon Moore. I’d heard his law mentioned many times but had no idea that he was a founder of intel. The book covers him and his pursuits with great detail and a very readable fashion. The guy made a lot of money selling microchips.

The only negative thing to say and it’s briefly mentioned is that making chips is a dirty business and intel polluted a lot of land/water doing it. The authors at the end wanted to focus on all the charitable gifts given out after he retired but they also should have revisited what making computer chips did to the environment.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good biography of someone you know little about but changed the world into what we know today. Pretty remarkable person and the authors clearly did their research.

While this is a biography on Gordon Moore, it is also a retrospective of the United states over the last 80 years, how things have changed, some for the good, some for the not so good. The nostalgia is strong here and it makes you appreciate what you have with your family.

Recommended.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quite enjoyable combined history of Intel, the semiconductor industry and of Gordon Moore.

What struck me was how intertwined Gordon Moore became with the company and how he was able to be such a consistent presence for decades and decades without seemingly getting bored of it.

[Ken Hamner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book. Highly recommended.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about the life of Gordon Moore. Unfortunately the commentary can become repetitive and it isn't a page-turner, but overall this was a good book.

[Aca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning about the character. Enjoyed the book.

[Irem Dilek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too long

[Gabriel Martineau · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

Sometimes pretty technically, but good detail. Moore was interesting dude and enjoyed learning his story. I really enjoyed how to learned from mistakes

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book, despite starting off slow. The authors' attempt to link Moore's pioneer heritage to his intellectual and professional drive falls flat. But that's ok.

Moore is seriously underrated, particularly as compared with Andy Grove. Moore combined intellectual discipline and ability with entrepreneurial character in a way that, I think, is seldom seen. Moore's status should be raised. His life story is interesting, and the description of the infancy of Silicon Valley is interesting, but the book is strongest when describing Moore's insights into the manufacturing process and technology. The authors describe the mechanics of Moore's Law, which was about the intersection of returns to scale and learning by doing. The book also provides insights into the role of the US government in the development of the semiconductor industry, specifically on the demand side. People typically think of government's role in R&D as being about subsidies of various sorts, but it appears that simply providing large demand was the key role. That is what allowed for the scale that drove Moore's Law. War drives everything, in this case the Cold War.

I recommend the book.

[deleted d · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book, very interesting man, I loved how they dominated the microprocessor market! well done

Moore’s Law
- stick to what you know, or try to be similar
- look for emerging markets and innovate there


Gordon Moore followed his passions and talents from an early age. His work in chemistry led him to research semiconductors and microchips, and his success in those fields brought him to personal computers and microprocessors. After revolutionizing our technology with his advancements in memory processing and personal access, he focused on philanthropic work in his old age.

[John Purrier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting profile of a man that dominated tech from the start of the transistor age until PC's were ubiquitous. Due to his nature, Gordon Moore is not as public as some of his peers and colleagues, but is arguably more influential.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive history of Moore with a good dose of Intel's history too. Starts off slow with a mostly unnecessary discussion of Moore's ancestors settling in the American West, but picks up after.