Valley of genius
by Adam Fisher · first published 2018
62% recommend38% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Oral history of Silicon Valley built from interviews with pioneers, which readers say feels like a campfire conversation; an accessible way to learn the region's history, including General Magic and Steve Jobs.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"A candid, colorful, and comprehensive oral history that reveals the secrets of Silicon Valley--from the origins of Apple and Atari to the present day clashes of Google and Facebook, and all the start-ups and disruptions that happened along the way. Rarely has one economy asserted itself as swiftly--and as aggressively--as the entity we now know as Silicon Valley. Built with a seemingly permanent culture of reinvention, Silicon Valley does not fight change; it embraces it, and now powers the American economy and global innovation. So how did this omnipotent and ever-morphing place come to be?
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…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 two above] - "The New New Thing: A Silicon…
on “Ask HN: What are more books like “Masters of Doom” or “Showstoppers”?” ↗…can't believe nobody has mentioned the classic, _Hackers_, by Steven Levy. Another book I found interesting, but is focused more on the early history of Silicon Valley as a whole, not just computing, is _Valley of Genius_, by Adam Fisher.
on “Ask HN: What are some great posts or articles about history of computing?” ↗…[1], Pixar co-founder, former Xerox PARC researcher, and inventor of the HSV color space, alpha channel to represent transparency in images, and other advancements in computer graphics. Related read: "Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley (As Told by the Hackers, Founders, and Freaks Who Made It Boom)" [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvy_Ray_Smith [2] https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Genius-Uncensored-History-Foun...
on “Pixar History Revisited: A Corrective (2011)” ↗I really loved "Valley of Genius" 500 pages of straight quotes. It reads like everyone is gathered around a campfire talking about the past, and you're there with them. Great book https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Genius-Uncensored-History-Foun...
on “Ask HN: Computer Science/History Books?” ↗…from Scratch (Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank) - Hard Drive (James Wallace) - Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson) - Elon Musk (Ashlee Vance) - Creativity, Inc. (Ed Catmull) - The Ride of a Lifetime (Bob Iger) - Valley of Genius (Adam Fisher) - The Idea Factory (Jon Gertner) - Dealers of Lightning (Michael Hertzik) - Idea Man (Paul Allen) - Pour Your Heart Into It (Howard Schultz)
on “Ask HN: What books helped you in your entrepreneurship journey?” ↗A new book came out recently about the history of Silicon Valley called "Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley". I've been working my way through the audiobook and it tells the story of General Magic in there. Would 100% recommend- it filled me with the same excitement…
on “A time in 1994 when Steve Jobs got to use a device like an iPhone” ↗I'm reading a couple books at the moment. Valley of Genius[1] is a history of silicon valley, but told via excerpts and quotes from influential members of the SV community. It's quite a fascinating book, and I highly recommend it. I'm in my early thirties, so…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗Wouldn't you be losing out on the fresh ideas and perspectives new entrants into this field brings ? I had read "Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley" a few months ago and most of the disruptions in the industry came from engineers who brought in fresh perspective or had the energy to try something different.
on “AI has torched the market for junior programmers” ↗Valley of Genius is a fun way to become acquainted with some of the Valley's history (for those who haven't read it, it's an oral history comprised of interview snippets from a bunch of key pioneers and people who were…
on “Ask HN: What are some great posts or articles about history of computing?” ↗The Valley of Genius is another great book and doesn't hide much about Steve Jobs and his opportunism. That said, he sure knew how to raise money, build a team, and get attention.
on “‘Catch Me If You Can’ conman Frank Abagnale Jr. lied about his lifetime of lies” ↗Alvy Ray Smith gives his version of the story in the "Valley of Genius" [1]: > "Life with Steve was awful. There was this famous board meeting at NeXT. Steve comes in and he’s busting Ed and me for being late on a circuit board for the image computer, which we were. And…
on “Pixar History Revisited: A Corrective (2011)” ↗Is it Sergey Brin being a Harvey Weinstein at early google as outlined in 2018's "Valley of Genius" by Adam Fisher?
on “Google employees are free to speak up, except on antitrust” ↗…be much use but I found it helpful in getting a grasp on what is actually happening. ------ Edit: Removed history books but, for anyone interested, the ones I listed previously were The Idea Factory, Valley of Genius, and Android: The Team that Built the Android OS
on “Ask HN: Most interesting, mildly impractical, well-written books on software?” ↗It's from the book, Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley
on “New Google Pixel 3, Pixel Slate, and Home Hub” ↗…Lyon’s Where Wizards Stay Up Late (1996), Michael Hiltzik’s Dealers of Lightning (1999), Walter Isaacson’s Innovators (2014) and Steve Jobs (2011), Leslie Berlin’s Troublemakers (2017), and Adam Fischer’s Valley of Genius (2018), whose titles speak for themselves. Histories in this genre extoll the whimsical personalities and talents of digital entrepreneurs and inventors, of whom Jobs is the prime exemplar. Some do acknowledge…
on “Counter-Histories of the Internet” ↗