The Innovators
How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
by Walter Isaacson, Francisco José Ramos Mena, Marcos Pérez Sánchez, Inga Pellisa Díaz · first published 2014
75% recommend25% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Readable, well-told history of computing from Ada Lovelace and early calculators through transistors, PCs and the web, stressing collaboration among many people; suits readers wanting broad context.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovators is Walter Isaacson’s revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail? In his masterly saga, Isaacson begins with Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron’s daughter, who pioneered computer pr
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2008–2026Where wizards stay up late
Katie Hafner, Katie Hefner, Matthew Lyon
Recommended by 86 · mentioned by 10986 recommend · 109 mention86 recommend · 10986 recommend
Troublemakers
Leslie Berlin
Recommended by 1 · mentioned by 31 recommend · 3 mention1 recommend · 31 recommend
2008–2026Fire in the valley
Paul Freiberger, Michael Swaine
Recommended by 39 · mentioned by 5239 recommend · 52 mention39 recommend · 5239 recommend
2015–2023The Intel Trinity
Michael S. Malone
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 32 recommend · 3 mention2 recommend · 32 recommend
I Invented the Modern Age
Richard Snow
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 22 recommend · 2 mention2 recommend · 22 recommend
History of Modern Computing, Second Edition
Paul E. Ceruzzi
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 22 recommend · 2 mention2 recommend · 22 recommend
2012–2026Turing's cathedral
George Dyson
Recommended by 42 · mentioned by 5842 recommend · 58 mention42 recommend · 5842 recommend
2008–2023The second coming of Steve Jobs
Alan Deutschman
Recommended by 7 · mentioned by 107 recommend · 10 mention7 recommend · 107 recommend
Computer history is one of my favorite topics, so I've read a lot over the years. Here's my list: >> Classic computer history: - "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution", Steven Levy - "The Innovators", Walter Isaacson - "Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley", Adam Fisher [innovative format, tons of interesting tidbits after you get used to the style. Read only after the other…
on “Ask HN: What are more books like “Masters of Doom” or “Showstoppers”?” ↗…tornado (Geoffrey Moore) Jony Ive (Leander Kahney) Sprint (Jake Knapp) The lean startup (Eric Ries) The selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins) Titan (Ron Chernow) The inevitable (Kevin Kelly) The Innovators (Walter Isaacson) Scrum (Jeff Sutherland) !Most if not all have an audio-book version! If you are in a startup or plan to start one soon, reading/listening to books should become a routine. I try…
on “Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier?” ↗- Steve Jobs' biographer wrote a book last year called "Innovators" which I found to be one of the best works I have read: http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Hackers-Geniuses-Created-Re... - Robert X. Cringely's book "Accidential Empires" is definitely dated but you can…
on “Ask HN: How to learn about the history of computing?” ↗- The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson is a great book that taught me a lot. It covers the gradual discovery of computers from Babbage and comes…
on “Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?” ↗…http://ccr.sigcomm.org/archive/1995/jan95/ccr-9501-clark.pdf Excellent summary of the same by Adrian Colyer → https://blog.acolyer.org/2015/01/22/the-design-philosophy-of... You can also read "The Innovators" by Walter Isaacson to get acquainted with how it gained momentum.
on “Ask HN: Where can one learn about the history of the internet and the protocols?” ↗The innovators by Walter Isaacson. He did Steve jobs bio, Ben Franklin bio, Leonardo davinchi bio, but this is my favorite since it's basically 30 biographies in one.
on “Ask HN: Computer Science/History Books?” ↗It is far from settled whether the GP’s interpretation is in fact what actually happened. I highly recommend The Innovators by Walter Isaacson. Among other things, it covers this “controversy” in great detail.
on “The Unparalleled Genius of John von Neumann (2019)” ↗…(English Version) - Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford - Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson - The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson - Ego is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key, and The Obstacle Is the Way; all 3 books by Ryan Holiday - Reviving…
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗…Grace" - about the research and the rise of AI - "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution" - "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs" - About Pixar's story. Liked more than Isaacson's biography - "The Innovators" - great summary of computer industry, from the 1800's till today - "Ghost in the Wires" - Kevin Mitnick's story. Had started years ago, but finally finished it - "Idea Man" - about Paul Allen's story.…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗The Innovators by Walter Isaacson
on “Ask HN: What are the best non-fiction books?” ↗If you're searching for this book try: "Innovators by Walter Isaacson".
on “Ask HN: Recommendations on books and documentaries on tech companies/people?” ↗…change my life completely, but added layers to my perception and thinking. 1. "The Black Swan" by N. Nicholas Taleb. It has added a filter to my entire thought process. I call it the Nicholas filter. 2. "Innovators" by Walter Isaacson. Learned about computer history, collaboration. The idea of " collaboration through time" got really etched into me. 3. "The Little Schemer", 4e and Graham Hutton's Haskell book made…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life?” ↗I really like The Innovators by Walter Isaacson, it is a great book about the whole computer history and many ideas that made it possible.
on “Silicon Valley History” ↗I would recommend the book - Innovators by Walter Issacson. It contains the history for computing from Charles Babbage to the invention of the Internet by Tim Berners Lee. Though it has some factual errors, it was a very interesting book. https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Hackers-Geniuses-Created-R...
on “Ask HN: Anything Like Carl Sagan's Cosmos for Computer Science?” ↗I am just finishing The Innovators by Walter Isaacson (the guy who also did Jobs' biography) and it did a good job at tracing the threads of theoretical information management systems through to their practical manifestation via the invention…
on “The first web site” ↗