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Crystal Fire: The Birth of the Information Age Audiobook
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(3.16) - 63 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
On December 16, 1947, two physicists at Bell Laboratories, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, jabbed two electrodes into a sliver of germanium half an inch long. The electrical power coming out of that piece of germanium was 100 times stronger than what went in. In that moment, the transistor was invented and the information age began.
Crystal Fire recounts the story of the transistor team at Bell Labs, led by William Shockley, who shared the Nobel Prize with Bardeen and Brattain. While his colleagues went on to other research, Shockley grew increasingly obsessed with the new gadget. He went on to form the first semiconductor company in what would become Silicon Valley.
Above all, Crystal Fire is a tale of the human factors in technology: the pride and jealousies coupled with scientific and economic aspirations that led to the creation of modern microelectronics and ignited the greatest technological explosion in history.
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"Better than 3 stars, but dies at the end if I recall. Serious semiconductor nerds find it super readable and it's nice to know where everything came from, if you like the history of science. Otherwise, skip it. "
— Marie (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Without the invention of the transistor, I’m quite sure that the PC would not exist as we know it today.”
— Bill Gates -
“Thoroughly accessible to lay readers as well as the techno-savvy…A fine book.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A gripping read and a crash course in the dizzying complexity of information-age invention.”
— Amazon.com review -
“This book of ‘history in the making’ fascinates.”
— AudioFile
Crystal Fire Listener Reviews
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" should be required reading for any modern technology student. "
— Unojoe2, 5/26/2013 -
" The first third of this is all quantum physics ( finally made the connection that it's the Pauli principle that's keeping atoms from collasping, that's why it was neccessary ) "
— BAKU, 3/13/2013 -
" Better than 3 stars, but dies at the end if I recall. Serious semiconductor nerds find it super readable and it's nice to know where everything came from, if you like the history of science. Otherwise, skip it. "
— Marie, 3/1/2013 -
" Well written. Concise description of the invention and application of the transistor. "
— Drew, 11/27/2011 -
" EXCELLENT book about the human story behind the invention of the transistor. Vivid technical details. It describes field-effect transistors in a way that is actually moving. How many authors can do that?! "
— Eric, 7/16/2011 -
" The first third of this is all quantum physics ( finally made the connection that it's the Pauli principle that's keeping atoms from collasping, that's why it was neccessary ) "
— Cavolonero, 4/28/2011 -
" should be required reading for any modern technology student. "
— Unojoe2, 11/26/2009 -
" Well written. Concise description of the invention and application of the transistor. "
— Drew, 9/26/2009 -
" EXCELLENT book about the human story behind the invention of the transistor. Vivid technical details. It describes field-effect transistors in a way that is actually moving. How many authors can do that?! "
— Eric, 12/27/2007
About the Authors
Michael Riordan has authored, coauthored, and edited a number of scientific books, including Crystal Fire and The Hunting of the Quark, which won the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. In 2002, he received the Andrew Gemant Award of the American Institute of Physics for his contributions to the understanding of physics and its relationship to the wider culture. He lives in Santa Cruz, California.
Lillian Hoddeson is the Thomas M. Siebel Professor of History of Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign. She is the coauthor of Crystal Fire.
About Dennis McKee
Dennis McKee is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.