The Innovators

How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

2015 Audie Award Finalist for Non-Fiction

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 programming in the 1840s. He explores the fascinating personalities that created our current digital revolution, such as Vannevar Bush, Alan Turing, John von Neumann, J.C.R. Licklider, Doug Engelbart, Robert Noyce, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, Tim Berners-Lee, and Larry Page.

This is the story of how their minds worked and what made them so inventive. It’s also a narrative of how their ability to collaborate and master the art of teamwork made them even more creative.

For an era that seeks to foster innovation, creativity, and teamwork, The Innovators shows how they happen.

©2014 Walter Isaacson (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

An interesting history of the digital age

As someone who great up in the sixties - studied technology in college, and have played, used, and grown with computers and the internet, this was a great walk back in time.

The book filled in a few things that I didn't know and brought together other items that I knew but not sure how they connected.

It is well written and presented - perfect for the technology geek but it could be dry for someone that has only a modest interest in the subject.

second time listening

this book is so well done on many counts. It is so rich in history, is so inspiring and tells the evolution of technology as a story that builds upon each innovators successes. highly recommended!

Well read, excellent content!

Very informative book and an extremely bright delivery by the reader. Good books are always great, but good books with great delivery just up the ante and make the experience that much more enjoyable.

Fantastic

A really terrific history of the digital age, insightful and clearly explained. Would definitely recommend.

A must-read for everyone alive

A concise, humorous, rich and informative tracing of our current digital age, told through warm profiles of the geeks, hackers and innovators who created it collaboratively.

Our history is amazing

The narrative of this wonderfully applied spotlight on a key historic thread is nothing short of fantastic.
It weaves through the fabric with an intention, not to be overtly smart or bluntly subjective, but manages to set a pace of storytelling that’s rich, engaging and humble. You can tell the writer understands the stories he’s telling, and have managed to apply the key lessons learnt. For future generations, this story will be exceptionally useful, so a sincere thank you is in order.

A page-turner

For those of us who have lived through the era from crystal sets and vacuum tubes to the present day microprocessors, this is a fascinating look into the details of an extraordinary period of history. In keeping with the author's exemplary style of writing, The author artfully puts into context the familiar and unfamiliar names behind the technology revolution. A masterful work.

Very influencial book

This book is probably more influencial that biographical books of all the people involved because it really draws together the lessons learnt from each. I learnt a lot from this book, have become influenced to put more effort into the humanities and have been guided to some key figures I'd like to know more about. Really loved this book and strongly recommend it.

Great overview of the computer age

Good book. Worth hearing with a few warnings.

First, this was the first audio book I've ever had to listen at a faster playback speed. I think I set it to a little over x1.25. 3* Performance.

Second, I was expecting you hear a collection of bios of a few key people of the digital age--hence the title "The Innovators". Instead, the book covered "the innovations" more than the innovators--hence the subtitle that I should have paid more attention to..."HOW a group of..." A few of the innovators received more in-depth biographical coverage than others but again, from the title I was expecting a little more info on fewer people. 4* for not being quite what I wanted.

That all said, this really was a great history of the computer and modern technology. Really enjoyed learning the early history of "computers", academic debates and theories, and how we arrived to this point in time technologically. 5* for the story.

The story behind the tech we all love

Of course we all know about Steve Jobs, Bill Gates. but this is the story of the many many other unsung heroes who have given us the amazing technology that is so ubiquitous today. and the conclusions he draws in the last chapters are nothing short of amazing. this should be a must read for all aspiring innovators