Customer Reviews

Engineering the World: Stories from the First 75 Years of Texas Instruments

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This handsome volume, lavishly illustrated with photos from Texas Instruments archives, is the culmination of a TI-history project that proceeded spasmodically over many years and which reportedly produced an earlier manuscript that was vetoed by the company's then president. What has finally come forth as "Engineering the World" will surely grace the public spaces of all TI facilities, providing visitors waiting to see TI engineers or interview for jobs an excellent overview of the company's considerable innovations and achievements during its first 75 years (e.g., the transistor radio and the integrated circuit). But the book is not a definitive examination of the interpersonal dynamics among the extremely bright, ambitious, and hardworking men involved. A chronicle such as Gay Talese's saga of the evolution of the New York Times ("The Kingdom and the Power," London, Calder & Boyars, 1971) was not the model for this endeavor. And at this point, with TI's founders and many principal participants gone, such a work is probably not possible. Since, as far as I know, none of those folks was inclined to publish a memoir elaborating on his part in the company's creation and evolution, I assume that journals or diaries may not be available.

For more detailed TI nuts and bolts, you might enjoy the story of Cecil Green, a founder of TI and its parent company, Geophysical Service Inc ("Cecil and Ida Green: philanthropists extraordinary," by Robert Shrock, MIT Press, c1989), or the humorous memoir of 37 years at TI by engineer/inventor Ed Millis ("TI, the Transistor, and Me, " Dallas, Ed Millis Books, 2000). Mr. Millis was also a member of the research committee for "Engineering the World."

If you have ever worked at TI you know that it was and still is a special company. This book will remind you why you love the company. The history of the founding of the company reminded me how special the culture is. The willingness to take risk and tackle the impossible emerged from the early days in the oil exploration business and thankfully stayed with the company through the years. Buy this book!

Cough ... cough ... gag ... choke ... spit ...

Excuse me a moment ... just hocking up some of the endless marketing hype and buzz words that fill this book ...

"founded on innovative technology" ... "worlds first independent" ... "launched a new strategy" "completely change" "ignited a revolution" ... "leading the industry" ... "critical innovations"

AND THAT'S JUST THE *FIRST* PAGE !!!

"Even though the odds were stacked against it, a small company faced down the Great Depression and built a visionary geophysical business that brought a new technology to the old-fashioned art of oil exploration. GSI [TI's original name] sent shock waves into the earth to map underground structures that might hold accumulations of oil and gas, and its innovative methods sent shock waves through an industry at home and abroad." (beginning of page 2)

THE WHOLE BOOK IS LIKE THAT!

This might actually be a good book. ... Honestly, I don't know. I got through about 6 pages of endless hype and just couldn't stomach any more. If you would enjoy reading a 259-page ad telling you how the latest version of Windows is so great or how the Model X Car is "the best in its class", you'll love this book. It's a shame really ... I've lived in Texas since January 1982 and Dallas since February 1995 and I really was hoping to learn something about TI. But there's only so much marketing hype a person can take before it becomes just unbearable.