The Idea Factory
Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
by Jon Gertner
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More Recommenders
“@EconDerek Excellent book and would welcome another like that | Below are my favorite books and articles about the history of computing and Silicon Valley. | Some of my favorite books are on unique times in history when a group of incredibly talented people came together to build: American Prometheus (Manhattan Project) Dealers of Lightning (Xerox PARC) The Idea Factory (Bell Labs) Masters of Doom (id Software) Skunk Works | The definitive history of America's greatest incubator of technological innovation.”
Source →“@EconDerek Excellent book and would welcome another like that | Below are my favorite books and articles about the history of computing and Silicon Valley. | Some of my favorite books are on unique times in history when a group of incredibly talented people came together to build: American Prometheus (Manhattan Project) Dealers of Lightning (Xerox PARC) The Idea Factory (Bell Labs) Masters of Doom (id Software) Skunk Works | The definitive history of America's greatest incubator of technological innovation.”
Source →“@EconDerek Excellent book and would welcome another like that | Below are my favorite books and articles about the history of computing and Silicon Valley. | Some of my favorite books are on unique times in history when a group of incredibly talented people came together to build: American Prometheus (Manhattan Project) Dealers of Lightning (Xerox PARC) The Idea Factory (Bell Labs) Masters of Doom (id Software) Skunk Works | The definitive history of America's greatest incubator of technological innovation.”
Source →Recommended by 5 notable people, including Patrick Collison and Mark Zuckerberg
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Should I read this?
Recommended by 8 sources and appears in Best Business Books, Most Recommended Books, and Technology.
From its beginnings in the 1920s until its demise in the 1980s, Bell Labsofficially, the research and development wing of AT&Twas the biggest, and arguably the best, laboratory for new ideas in the world. From the transistor to the laser, from digital communications to cellular telephony, it's hard to find an aspect of modern life that hasn't bee...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 8 sources and appears in Best Business Books, Most Recommended Books, and Technology.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Patrick Collison
Co-founder and CEO of Stripe
“@EconDerek Excellent book and would welcome another like that | Below are my favorite books and articles about the history of computing and Silicon Valley. | Some of my favorite books are on unique times in history when a group of incredibly talented people came together to build: American Prometheus (Manhattan Project) Dealers of Lightning (Xerox PARC) The Idea Factory (Bell Labs) Masters of Doom (id Software) Skunk Works | The definitive history of America's greatest incubator of technological innovation.”
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. Recommended by 60 sources.
“A blunt, conversational tour through the worst parts of building a company. Horowitz shares personal stories from his own startup failures and recoveries, offering practical wisdom on layoffs, pivots, CEO loneliness, and managing when times are bad. The value is in the honest, experience-based insight you won't get from business school. The limitation is its narrow focus on venture-backed tech startups—if you're not in that world, some advice may feel irrelevant. Reads like a wise mentor telling you what nobody else will.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
The Idea Factory
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