Customer Reviews

Inside Intel: Andy Grove and the Rise of the World's Most Powerful Chip Company

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a former Intel employee, I feel that Tim Jackson got an in-depth understanding of the dual face that Intel has. On one hand, it is one of the most exciting companies in the world today - full of clever people with bright ideas, who create one of the most exciting products in today's world. Intel gives its employees the opportunity to be an active part of the technologic revolution. It also made many employees rich by giving them stock options (although it was much less generous than other companies in the high-tech business, like Microsoft). On the other hand, if the big companies of today are like independent countries, then Intel resembles the former Soviet Union. The walls at Intel's sites are all covered with propaganda posters about how Intel is "A great place to work", and how "Intel culture" makes sure that it will always be so (pretty much like "the communist heaven"...). Employees get regular lessons in "Intel Culture" and its principles - like "Constructive Confrontation" "One on One" "Intel Management by Objective" - teaching them how these great principles make sure that their voice is heard, that they will have an open door in the upper management, and they will be able to express their ideas freely. In practice, however, employees soon find out that the system's main purpose is to provide management a tight control over the ordinary engineers, and make sure that everybody "stays in line", and avoid criticism. The hierarchical system of "key results" and periodical reviews makes sure that any manager would be able to get rid of "trouble makers" reporting to him as soon as possible. As a result, internal politics and the pressure on the workers constantly grow. (In my opinion, this is the reason why Intel couldn't convert its great success in building processors to any other field - like software development or networking products - despite huge investments in these fields). It is amazing that Mr. Jackson had never been an Inter employee himself - as his book gives a fair and accurate description of what it is like inside Intel - with the good and the bad parts.

This is a highly engaging book. As a former Intel customer, now in recovery, I feel that this book can give the general audience an authentic taste both of the history of ingenuity and energy inside Intel, and of their sometimes incredible and insufferable arrogance.

I especially appreciated the enlightening and lively accounts of Dov Frohman's discovery and exploitation of floating gate technology for EPROMs, and of Tim May's discovery of alpha particle-induced errors.

It is unfortunate that Jackson did not relate the Intel / Nippon Steel flash memory production fiasco. This might easily rank #2 (behind Pentium FDIV) on the arrogance-toward-customers list, and is a pile of muck very ripe for a good raking.

The book seems nearly deserving of a 10, but some history, particularly from the 8008 and 8080 eras, did not quite match my recollection, and might have benefitted from more extensive fact-checking.

If you are an engineer contemplating joining Intel read this book. You will have one of two reactions afterwards. You will be even more enthusiastic about joining a no nonsense, very well run company, or you will run like hell away from Intel. Take it from me, an Intel newbee, this book lets you know what Intel is all about.

This isn't the best Silicon Valley book I've read, but it does explain the company quite well. It's a little too technical for my feeble mind in certain chapters. I would have preferred a little more on the factors leading to the "mellowing" of Andy Grove, besides the cancer scare. Interesting reading about AMD, they still can't seem to get it together.

This book is a good book, but I expected to find more informations about Grove's behavior and a kind of recipe to manage as good as he does. I suggest this book only for ones who enjoy computers or electronics and knows something about this tech-world.

This book is excellently written!! With personal knowledge of the Grove style to personnel management, Mr. Jackson couldn't be more accurate. There were MANY things written in this book regarding the early history that were hazy to me but now I understand much more clearly. It's a great and innovative company in which many people devote themselves and their families too. Unfortunately, it definitely does take it's toll on family lives. One mistake or disagreement in the eyes of someone with power and your long lasting successful career at Intel is doomed for a short life. If you've lost your family along the way as well........then when the shoutings over - you are on you own, literally. Mr. Jackson did a wonderful job of writting such an accurate book with only a few interviews and court documents. This is journalism at its best. A recommended read for anyone who works in the integrated circuit industy (especially at Intel). I think most [people] will be surprised to see how this large Corporation conducts in external and internal business. Intimidation is the key word and burnt out employees are becoming more and more common.

This is an insightful book about the beginnings of the chip industry, and Intel's rise to dominate it. Jackson seems fair in his asessments about the company and its personalities, maybe a little too fair. I had expected a bit more muckraking. That Andy Grove is a workaholic slavedriver is no great revelation.

Its a good book for people like me, who love hearing how the Z80 chip came about, but theres nothing much here for general readers. Unless you love technology and the computer business, you'd be advised to skip this one.

If you are a tech-lover, this is a solid, but unspectacular effort.

This book is ok. Good, but I was disappointed. Why? Because I feel it could have been just so much more and rich in history and anecdotes with less dry (and uninteresting) technical background. Intel's the world's largest processor company. Exceptionally dynamic and with high tech, cutting edge resources (people). More important, it's a look into the future. I thought reading this work would provide a privileged insight into this modern day paradigm of manufacturing and management. It was just ok. Good, but for all that we hear of Intel and see of its present day market dominance, I couldn't help but feel that so many pages just didn't do it justice. Bottom line: author Jackson could've provided much more content in the pages he used.

Intel is the epitome of a giant trying to destroy all that comes in its way.The way Andy Grove and his team destroys opposition reminds one that fairplay is not always seen in business.The way Intel has beaten weaker rivals in its game to dominate the microprocessor industry shows that in this game there are no rules. Various victims of Intels strategy tell their story in this book.However Intel has to be congratulated on the ruthless determination of its core team to dominate the market against all odds and use all possible tactics in this context. The decision to quit memory chip market and enter totally into microprocessors is the most important happenning to Intel and Andy Grove should be given the highest honours for virtually saving the company. Andy Groves, man of the year in 1998 is protrayed as an obsessive man,driven by the urge to compete and totally lacking the basic human natures of sympathy,care and fellow feeling. Whether it is an accurate indicator of Andy Grove is anybody's guess.

This book provides some interesting and many uninteresting details about Intel's history. Though well-researched, it is of little educational value and reads more like a soap opera. Worst of all, unlike what the title would suggest, the book discusses Andy Grove very little and provides few insights into the reasons for success of Intel. In fact, much of the book is dedicated to Intel's petty & vindictive spats with former employees.