The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks created the Digital Revolution
The new tome by Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs: Isaacson will be at the Computer History Museum this next Tuesday nite, there may still be tickets available.
I was a little chary about the Jobs book--Isaacson is a superb, prolific writer with wonderful prose, captivating style, and engrossing stories. Both books (and his others, about Einstein, Franklin, etc) are eminently readable.
My quibble with the Jobs book was that it was not particularly well researched, nor well balanced, in terms of the Apple story. Lots of Apple employees and alumni have agreed with me, supplying much energy in their recitations. The public reception was extraordinary, though, as properly it should have been for this icon of our industry, indeed our world.
The SIG-CIS community--that acronym stands for Special Interest Group-Computers In Society, as part of SHOT, the Society for the History of Technology--was similarly chary about this new book, pointing out (with some glee) errors of commission in some significant (in their view) places. And I don't disagree with their doting on historical accuracy.
But... this is a terrific tour-de-force, and it should do Silicon Valley proud. The cover features Ada Lovelace, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Alan Turing, and the book does a fabulous job of covering the emergence and evolution of our digital age.
I tend to go to the index, and follow streams of names and stories i "know" to see how they are cast in any new book. Isaacson uses Michael Malone and John Markoff selectively to point out observations re the Valley; he doesn't cite Fred Turner, which is a shame, but he arrives at nearly the same point, in terms of strongly endorsing Stewart Brand and his impact, coupled with Doug Engelbart and Alan Kay and what became XeroxPARC.
Get it, read it. love it....
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Get Eric Schmidt's new book
Marissa Mayer interviewed Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg of Google tonight at the Computer History Museum, to an overflow crowd. Smashing!
The topic was their new book, How Google Works, and of course (well, maybe not 'of course') they gave Marissa much credit for creating much of the early Google experience. It was a rollicking good time, punctuated at the end by a young kid coming on stage, asking a couple of solid questions (like "will Google go into China if their material is censorship is used?").
The show will be up on the CHM YouTube site by the end of the week. I'll add the url when I get it.
Much solid material, such as "Hiring is too important to leave up to recruiting managers" "A" players will hire "A" players; "B" players will hire "C" players.
Lots about hiring generalists--the world is moving too fast to hire specialists who will quickly become obsolete, but meanwhile try to protect their 'specialty'.
Hire for passion, smarts, creativity. "How do you tell a creative from a 'crazy'" was one question. Answer--can't tell but easier to manage crazies than Bozos if you want creativity.
HiPPOs are despised--Highest Paid Person's Opinion. Great way to kill innovation.
In God we trust; all others bring data. Show me your data for the meeting; if it's just opinion, we'll use mine.
Essentially a brief for how to create and maintain a high-momentum company--with homage to Bill and Dave and how the early HP Way worked. Reminded me lots and lots about that early company.
The topic was their new book, How Google Works, and of course (well, maybe not 'of course') they gave Marissa much credit for creating much of the early Google experience. It was a rollicking good time, punctuated at the end by a young kid coming on stage, asking a couple of solid questions (like "will Google go into China if their material is censorship is used?").
The show will be up on the CHM YouTube site by the end of the week. I'll add the url when I get it.
Much solid material, such as "Hiring is too important to leave up to recruiting managers" "A" players will hire "A" players; "B" players will hire "C" players.
Lots about hiring generalists--the world is moving too fast to hire specialists who will quickly become obsolete, but meanwhile try to protect their 'specialty'.
Hire for passion, smarts, creativity. "How do you tell a creative from a 'crazy'" was one question. Answer--can't tell but easier to manage crazies than Bozos if you want creativity.
HiPPOs are despised--Highest Paid Person's Opinion. Great way to kill innovation.
In God we trust; all others bring data. Show me your data for the meeting; if it's just opinion, we'll use mine.
Essentially a brief for how to create and maintain a high-momentum company--with homage to Bill and Dave and how the early HP Way worked. Reminded me lots and lots about that early company.
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