Charged Bodies: People, Power, and Paradoxes That Launched Silicon Valley

Tom Mahon's book "Charged Bodies" provides an insider's perspective on the birth of the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley, highlighting the five climates that transformed farmland into a high-tech center. The book features twenty-five extended, in-person interviews with a diverse cast of characters who aimed to create technology and tools in service to humanity. The author questions whether they accomplished their objectives and urges readers to rethink technology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 05 April 2024
Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf

At the heart of Silicon Valley's meteoric rise is a story etched in the lives of those who shaped it and those who were forever transformed by it. Author Tom Mahon provides an insider's perspective on the birth of the semiconductor industry, which sparked the region's transformation from sleepy farmland to the heart and soul of the high-tech revolution. Through twenty-five extended, in-person interviews, you'll meet a diverse cast of characters whose goal was to create technology and tools in service to humanity. In the Afterword to this edition, the author questions whether they accomplished their objectives and urges readers to rise up and rethink technology.

What did it take to create the atmosphere that transformed rich farmland into the wealthy center of high-tech? Five climates lined up in just the right way. Educational institutions (Stanford and Berkeley); an attractive location with balmy, Mediterranean-like weather; a history of technology development (Federal Telegraph in the early twentieth century); financial risk-taking (the gold rush); and a cultural climate near the center of an ideological revolution (the hippie movement). The Santa Clara Valley had them all. In spades.

Before personal computers, or the Internet, or social media came chips. Inventive minds took advantage of the quad-electron structure and unique properties - insulative and conductive - of silicon to create semiconductors. But Charged Bodies is more than just the story of new technologies emerging from The Valley of the Heart's Delight. Using an approach like The Canterbury Tales, Tom Mahon captures the spirit of Silicon Valley in the 80s through the stories of the people all around him. The inventors and bankers have their say. But so do a range of other people who lived through the era, from engineers and entrepreneurs to journalists and activists.

Through their experiences, Mahon paints a vivid portrait of the culture and values that defined Silicon Valley in the 80s. He explores the tension between innovation and profitability, the importance of teamwork and collaboration, and the impact of technology on society and culture. He also delves into the social and political issues that shaped the region, from the rise of the computer industry to the impact of globalization on local businesses.

Charged Bodies is a fascinating and insightful exploration of the birth and growth of the semiconductor industry, and the people and cultures that shaped it. It is a must-read for anyone interested in technology, innovation, and the impact of social and political change on the modern world.

Weight: 280g
Dimension: 107 x 178 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9798888650592