Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age (Sloan Technology Series) [Paperback]

Michael Riordan (Author), Lillian Hoddeson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393318516 | ISBN-13: 978-0393318517 | Publication Date: December 17, 1998

"Without the invention of the transistor, I'm quite sure that the PC would not exist as we know it today."—Bill Gates

On December 16, 1947, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, physicists at Bell Laboratories, jabbed two electrodes into a sliver of germanium. The power flowing from the germanium far exceeded what went in; in that moment the transistor was invented and the Information Age was born. No other devices have been as crucial to modern life as the transistor and the microchip it spawned, but the story of the science and personalities that made these inventions possible has not been fully told until now. Crystal Fire fills this gap and carries the story forward. William Shockley, Bell Labs' team leader and co-recipient of the Nobel Prize with Brattain and Bardeen for the discovery, grew obsessed with the transistor and went on to become the father of Silicon Valley. Here is a deeply human story about the process of invention — including the competition and economic aspirations involved — all part of the greatest technological explosion in history. The intriguing history of the transistor — its inventors, physics, and stunning impact on society and the economy — unfolds here in a richly told tale."—Science News "Thoroughly accessible to lay readers as well as the techno-savvy. . . . [A] fine book."—Publishers Weekly Illustrated

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The microchip at the heart of your computer is a complex device, but its historical origins go back to one crude-looking little gadget made up of a wedge of plastic, a strip of gold foil, a rough-hewn slab of crystallized germanium, some wires, and a bent-up paper clip. Slapped together by two Bell Labs experimenters on December 16, 1947, this invention later came to be known as the transistor, and it is the ancestor of every microchip in operation today.

Crystal Fire tells the story of the creation and development of that gadget, demonstrating that very little about the transistor's invention was as simple it seemed. The device put together on that December day was no idle experiment, but the product of decades of high-level research--and the first major practical application of the esoteric quantum mechanics that had emerged from European particle physics at the beginning of the century.

Just as fascinating as the scientific background, though, is the story of the brains and events behind the invention of the transistor. The collaboration and rivalry of the three men credited with the invention--the brilliant John Bardeen, the likable Walter Brattain, and the appallingly driven William Shockley--hold center stage. However, authors Riordan and Hoddeson make it clear that the unique organizational resources of Bell Labs, the furious course of the war effort, and the random twists and turns of historical accident played equally important roles. The saga makes for a gripping read and a crash course in the dizzying complexity of information-age invention. --Julian Dibbell

Review

The history of the tiny transistor, recalled here with enthusiasm, is a tale of opportunities lost and found, and of the troubled quest of three brilliant minds to leave their mark. -- The Australia, 20 March 1999

Thoroughly accessible to lay readers as well as the techno-savvy.... [A] fine book. -- Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (December 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393318516
• ISBN-13: 978-0393318517
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Engineers, July 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age (Sloan Technology Series) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book on the history of the transistor. Not exactly light reading, but still an enjoyable read. As an engineer it is wonderful to learn the history of the one of the most important inventions of recent times. Really a well written book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent technology history, May 6, 2006

By 

Jonathan A. Titus (Western USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age (Sloan Technology Series) (Paperback)

A thoroughly informative and engaging look at the development of semiconductor electronics. A bit of physics background will help you get through some of the discussions of atoms and energy levels, but even if you skim this material, you'll better understand how semiconductor physics came about and how practical products left the lab and became the microprocessor, memory, and other chips that power "appliances" we take for granted. All too often we think of inventions as springing forth in one burts of energy. This book shows the slow and not-always-steady developments that involved more people that you can imaging. I recommend this book highly to engineers and non-engineers alike.

18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid state is not a reference to California., May 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age (Sloan Technology Series) (Paperback)

Who invented the transitor? The answer to this question is in the book. What is the transitor? The answer is in the book. Understanding the answer is another, more personal, matter. Why was the transitor invented in the US, when it was? This facinating question is well explored in the book. One may be surprised to see the names of Hitler, Einstein, Salvador Dali and Picasso mentioned in the same breath with the inventors. Which co-inventor of the transistor went on to win a second Noble prize for superconductivity? The book does not play favorites among the three co-inventors but the work of John Bardine on the transistor and superconductivity is reason enough for the biography fan to read this book instead of watching the biography of the "Hamburger Barrons" on TV. The story is not an "easy read." But cheer up, there are great pictures.