The Idea Factory
Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
by Jon Gernter · first published 2012
78% recommend22% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Engaging history of Bell Labs and how one research lab produced the transistor, radar, cell phone ideas and Unix-era computing; suits technologists and anyone curious how innovation and corporate research labs work.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A interesting history of Bell Labs from its rise to its fall. The author traces the innovators and innovations produced by the Labs which have changed the way we think about communication.
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…communication, UNIX/C, the list goes on. These ideas unquestionably laid the foundation for modern high-tech society. If anyone is interested in learning more about Bell Labs and the folks who worked there, “The Idea Factory” by Jon Gertner is a fantastic book written on the subject. It’s not comprehensive but it’s a very inspiring read. There has always been something very vexing about Bell Labs’ legacy though. They had…
on “The Man Who Invented Information Theory (2017)” ↗For those interested in learning more about Bell Labs I recommend you check out the book "The Idea Factory" (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11797471-the-idea-factor...).
on “Before Silicon Valley, New Jersey Reigned As Nation's Center Of Innovation” ↗Can someone tell me what is so great about SotNM? (It even won a Pulitzer.) I read a bunch of computer history books last year, and these were all more interesting IMO: - John Gernter, The Idea Factory - T.R. Reid, The Chip - Stephen Levy, Hackers - Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon, Where Wizards Stay Up Late - Michael Hiltzik, Dealers of Lightning - Susan Lammers, Programmers at Work (Actually I…
on “Windows NT and VMS: The Rest of the Story (1998)” ↗This sounds like a promising book. I read the The Idea Factory a few years ago, which is a related and fantastic book about the history of Bell Labs. Around that time I came across an interesting idea. I don't remember if it was in the Idea Factory, or in material…
on “Claude Shannon at Bell Labs” ↗For those interested in learning more about Bell Labs, I highly recommend "The Idea Factory". It's a history of Bell Labs, focusing both on the biographies of the engineers and also a meta story about how you create an organization that consistently produces impactful innovation. https://www.amazon.com/Idea-Factory-Great-American-Innovatio...
on “What made Bell Labs special? (2012) [pdf]” ↗…was done. 2. All the Pretty Horses - Beautifully written. McCarthy has an uncanny ability to paint with words. 3. Cannery Row - Short, witty, and full of interesting characters. Nonfiction: 1. The Idea Factory - A dive into how Bell Labs became such an innovation powerhouse and gives a rounded picture of the figureheads that brought it so much fame. 2. Moonwalking with Einstein - A fun read about a journalist…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?” ↗Bell launched a video phone too, back in the 60s. You can read about it in The Idea Factory, which is full of fascinating history. That book attributes the failure to people not wanting to be seen. I've worked with people who definitely didn't want to turn on their video on Zoom calls! :-/
on “Bell Telephone launched a mobile phone during the 1940s” ↗…Nate Silver The Money Culture - Michael Lewis Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations - David Warsh Smart Machines: IBM's Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing - John E. Kelly III and Steve Hamm The Idea Factory - Jon Gertner Winning The Knowledge Transfer Race - Michael J. English and William H. Baker Wellsprings of Knowledge - Dorothy Leonard-Barton If Only We Knew What We Know - Carla O'dell and C. Jackson…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2013” ↗I remember reading about this and his work at Bell in The Idea Factory http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11797471-the-idea-factory It's awesome and strange in the same time. He was basically fooling around "instead of work", creating such amazing things, while all the…
on “Claude Shannon demonstrates Theseus, a magnetic maze-solving mouse [video]” ↗"The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation" by Jon Gertner.
on “Ask HN: Recommendations on books and documentaries on tech companies/people?” ↗I highly recommend reading The Idea Factory. It's a fascinating historical account of Bell Labs and how they performed research.
on “The Bell System Technical Journal” ↗The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner. It's about Bell Labs and the people behind it. The idea that a company would have some kind of special research division where people can pretty much do as they wish (just "improve the…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗1. UNIX: A History and a Memoir 2. The Supermen: The Story of Seymour Cray and the Technical Wizards Behind the Supercomputer 3. The idea factory - Bell Land and the great age of American innovation 4. Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age 5. The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution…
on “Ask HN: Computer Science/History Books?” ↗"The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation" by Jon Gertner.
on “Ask HN: Computer Science/History Books?” ↗I really enjoyed the Idea Factory, by Jon Gertner: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11797471-the-idea-factor... It was exciting and inspiring and fun. It covered a ton of different inventions that came out of Bell Labs from its inception…
on “Ask HN: What are some great posts or articles about history of computing?” ↗