The Chip

How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution

By: T.R. Reid

Narrated by: Tom Perkins

Barely 50 years ago a computer was a gargantuan, vastly expensive thing that only a handful of scientists had ever seen. The world's brightest engineers were stymied in their quest to make these machines small and affordable until the solution finally came from two ingenious young Americans. Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce hit upon the stunning discovery that would make possible the silicon microchip, a work that would ultimately earn Kilby the Nobel Prize for physics in 2000. In this completely revised and updated edition of The Chip, T. R. Reid tells the gripping adventure story of their invention and of its growth into a global information industry. This is the story of how the digital age began.

©1985, 2001 T. R. Reid (P)2020 Tantor

Fantastic!

Although occasionally wandering off into the deep science behind the technology, this is a really compelling telling of the astounding story of the men who truly invented the future.

Excellent simple technical explanations, Compelling storyline of the rockstars who made modern tech possible!

Excellent simple technical explanations, Compelling storyline of the rockstars who made modern tech possible! Great baseline for anyone wanting to start learning more about science and engineering.

Great overview of the microchip

A high level look at the development of the integrated circuit. Plenty of detail of the fabrication, not overwhelming. Interesting anecdotes surrounding the companies and people.

The beating heart of technology

This is the personification of tribute to two very different men who created a chip technology that has completely changed our world. Everything you do today is linked to the "CHIP". It is integrated into all electronic products that we use. Starting from it's humble design of a single semi-conductor to over a billion circuits now in our most sophisticated engineering developments. The CHIP is still expanding following Gordon E. Moore, creator of Moore's Law from over 50 years ago. The story is about Jack Kilby an American engineer who also co designed the first hand held calculator and thermal printer from TI and Robert Noyce an American Physicist from INTEL. Each developed their own version of the technology that became the monolithic idea of the semi-conductor industry's that now saturates the world. The idea of using Silicon as the base element revolutionized the design. The story starts out with Jack back in 1958, before Jack is hired at Texas Instruments and his moving the family from Wisconsin to ending up in Texas. Jack actually won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000 without a degree in Physics which the Nobel committee overlooked due to the enormous impact he contributed to the CHIP., Robert Noyce passed away in 1990 prior to that award and it is not given Posthumously. Robert Noyce co-founded Fairchild Industries in1957 and INTEL in 1968. He was know as the Mayor of Silicon Valley. 5 stars all the way for a story that needs to be heard and not forgotten.

Can picture this story in my mind.

Great work keeping the timeline in place. Appreciate the synchronization between people, innovation and time.

Out of date

Could stand a revision to bring it up to the present. 1985; 2001; xxxx?
(e.g., TV = CRT)

Great narration, sloppy writing

Great history of a small part of the semi-con industry.

Narration is fantastic.

The book bounces all over the place though. Constantly feels like the author thinks "oh yeah! I almost forgot....". It would be ok once or twice, but it's constant and gets pretty tedious.

Still a great listen.