Customer Reviews

Crystal Fire: The Birth of the Information Age (Sloan Technology)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With a clearer explanation of the basic forces behind semi-conductivity and less history of quantum physics, this book would rate a '10.' As it stands, the authors seem to assume at least B.S. level competence in physical chemsistry in their readers and dwell ponderously on a century of scientific history that is but vaguely related to the central topic: invention of the transistor and its spawning of the chip industry. Better to have extended the story forward to Grove (instead of stalling in the 1960s) than wending backward to Bohr, but then what would the authors do for a sequel? Still, a compelling read and recommended, especially if you brush up on your sub-atomic particle physics and keep the periodic table close-at-hand. Best of all is the book's concluding sentence: "For as fire illuminates, we must always remember, it also consumes." So it does--and if this story hooks you, it will consume 285 pages of bathroom time.

Who would have thought a book about the invention of the transistor could be so compelling? And yet here it is. The authors tell two parallel stories, one about the inventors, and one about the developments in physics that led to, and followed from, the invention of the transistor. The interplay between pure science and technology has seldom been explained as well.

I'd put this book alongside "The Invention That Changed The World" as the two best popular histories of science an technology of the decade.

The authors created this book the old fashioned way with in depth interviews and research into unpublished materials. This makes it particularly interesting and credible. From discussion of the original patents to Bell Labs office politics and Shockley's diary, this book is a treasure trove of info.

This book is very well written, and does a good job of telling the history of the invention of the transistor. The book focuses on the technological aspects of the invention, but also does a great job of telling the story of the personalities, and (now multi-million dollar) businesses that were involved with the invention.

The story of the transistor's birth and early life is a long one, spanning decades. In Crystal Fire, the authors do a remarkable job of picking and choosing the relevant events in the world of physics and tying those events with the lives of the story's principal characters. This book gets particularly high marks for explaining quantum mechanical phenomena without resorting to higher levels of math than many of us remember. I was somewhat annoyed at first blush with how far back the authors start the story, but in the end my understanding of the workings of transistors, the personalities of its inventors, and the historical context in which it was invented was very well served by their narrative. The only fault I found was with the authors' propensity for referring to characters only by last name. There were many people involved in the transistor's birth, and I found the plethora of last names somewhat confusing.

I have loved books about the history of science for years; in reading them I feel some shred of the excitement and glory that the scientists themselves must have felt. In that respect, this book holds up beautifully, and I recommend it to anyone who loves science, and particularly electronics, as much as I do

I can't remember a more absorbing book. Crystal Fire is the story of the humble transistor-because of its invention, you are reading this on-line. The authors not only write beautifuly, it's obvious that in-depth historical research was involved. The main protagonists won the Nobel Prize for their achievement, but in many cases were less than worthy human beings. But Crystal Fire is a compeling, absorbing read. Please don't miss this one. In fact, Crystal Fire would make one helluva movie. Hello, Holywood?

This book covers everything related to the invention of the transistor. It begins with the lifes of its inventors, and ends with the development of integrated circuits. I advice it to everybody student of electronics, because it leads to a real understanding of current devices. The book has an extensive bibliography, too.

Nobody can claim that the history of the transistor and related technology has become obsolete in the ten years since the book was published. Oh, no, the transistor and its offspring are even more integrated into the world, and humans are even more dependent than ever. In the meantime, however, the giant figures of the genesis of the transistor and the integrated circuit continue to recede into history. They haven't stuck in peoples' minds, as have the gang of physicists from the early 20th century (Einstein, Bohr, etc.). In fact, Einstein and the others are still compelling enough that they get another telling here, building the knowledge base needed by the solid-state team in the 1940s.

Thus, "Crystal Fire" is a valuable account of a critical event in science and engineering history that should be of interest to many people who have never come near a vacuum tube or a discrete transistor, or have only vaguely heard of the "transistor radio" that made Sony.

The authors emphasize the three Nobel winners and how events led to their working together at Bell Labs, surrounded by an exceptional collection of talent. From there, the story crisply describes the false starts and path to Bardeen and Brattain's invention, and Shockley's subsequent development of the junction transistor. Plenty of credit is given to the others who contributed on the chemistry and engineering sides, for example, not to mention the wise leadership of Bell itself. The transistor is a truly an excellent example of synergistic discovery and development, which makes for a more attractive story.

The authors showed a good balance between a technical history of no depth and scientific detail that required a specialist. There is no math, and complex phenomena get a nice summary. I honestly don't know how they could have gone much simpler, given that we are talking about solid-state physics here. Readers can always skim some parts that exceed their understanding.

After the invention, the authors follow multiple threads. One is the disruption of the R&D group by Shockley's ego and incompetent leadership, which continues into Shockley's post-BTL career as the "Moses" of Silicon Valley. Another is the rapid advancement of solid-state physics and circuit development, once the concept had been proven. Another is some reporting on Bardeen and Brattain in the aftermath, but that story is overshadowed by the dominant personality and whirlwind of Shockley's life. Part of that is Bardeen's movement away from the field and into superconductivity, so he really wasn't a major player once the transistor took off.

Co-author Hoddeson wrote "True Genius", a bio of John Bardeen that is outstanding (I probably liked it better than "Crystal Fire"), but with more focus on Bardeen himself. There is obviously overlap. Perhaps I was merely partial to that theme, being an Illinois grad whose time in Urbana overlapped with Professor Bardeen's.

October 25, 2002

Hoddeson & Daitch, "True Genius" (Bardeen)

Our university bookstore (809 S. Wright St.) kindly informed me of your listing of Hoddeson and Daitch's John Bardeen biography, "True Genius," and, of course, I read the brief "Publishers Weekly" review, as well as the more cryptic but more positive comments of others. From the very first sentence I knew that the "Publishers Weekly" review would be superficial, and maybe even wrong, which then is of what help to a reader and potential book customer? Living in the U.S. democracy, how can we not be curious and not read about the Founders? Similarly, how can we be immersed in all the new electronics (computers, cell phones, DVD and CD machines, MRI's, digital machinery---in fact, Si here, Si there, Si everywhere) and not be curious about how all this happened, what sort of ingenius mind, or minds, might be at the beginning of it all? Imagine the calamity on the planet if the transistor vanished for a day. Does that help in understanding the scale of a Bardeen, of "True Genius"! I knew John Bardeen for 40 years (as my teacher, friend, colleague) and still I learned something further from Hoddeson and Daitch and the material they unearthed for "True Genius", a fascinating biography (a different kind of story). Hoddeson and Daitch do not disappoint in their biography of Bardeen and in elucidating over many chapters his kind of genius, which "Publishers Weekly" doesn't seem to appreciate. Genius is a diamond of many facets, and Hoddeson and Daitch reveal a Bardeen facet. It isn't the last chapter of "True Genius" that matters. It's the whole book, all the chapters, that reveal an American hero---if you will, a genius.

Nick Holonyak, Jr.
John Bardeen Chair Professor of
Electrical and Computer
Engineering and Physics, and
Center for Advanced Study
Professor of Electrical and
Computer Engineering