Revolution in The Valley: The Insanely Great Story of How the Mac Was Made 1st Edition

by Andy Hertzfeld (Author)

88 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1449316242

ISBN-10: 1449316247

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There was a time, not too long ago, when the typewriter and notebook ruled, and the computer as an everyday tool was simply a vision. Revolution in the Valley traces this vision back to its earliest roots: the hallways and backrooms of Apple, where the groundbreaking Macintosh computer was born. The book traces the development of the Macintosh, from its inception as an underground skunkworks project in 1979 to its triumphant introduction in 1984 and beyond.

The stories in Revolution in the Valley come on extremely good authority. That's because author Andy Hertzfeld was a core member of the team that built the Macintosh system software, and a key creator of the Mac's radically new user interface software. One of the chosen few who worked with the mercurial Steve Jobs, you might call him the ultimate insider.

When Revolution in the Valley begins, Hertzfeld is working on Apple's first attempt at a low-cost, consumer-oriented computer: the Apple II. He sees that Steve Jobs is luring some of the company's most brilliant innovators to work on a tiny research effort the Macintosh. Hertzfeld manages to make his way onto the Macintosh research team, and the rest is history.

Through lavish illustrations, period photos, and Hertzfeld's vivid first-hand accounts, Revolution in the Valley reveals what it was like to be there at the birth of the personal computer revolution. The story comes to life through the book's portrait of the talented and often eccentric characters who made up the Macintosh team. Now, over 20 years later, millions of people are benefiting from the technical achievements of this determined and brilliant group of people.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andy Hertzfeld was a graduate student in computer science at UC Berkeley in January 1978 when he purchased one of the first Apple IIs.He quickly lost interest in grad school as he began writing programs for his Apple II, eventually leading him to join Apple Computer as a systems programmer in August 1979. He joined the Macintosh team in February 1981, and became one of the main authors of the Macintosh system software, including the User Interface Toolbox and many of the original desk accessories. He left Apple in March 1984, and went on to co-found three companies: Radius (1986), General Magic (1990) and Eazel (1999). In 2003, he developed web-based software for collective storytelling that he used to write the stories in this book. In 2005, he joined Google, and was one of the main creators of Google+.

Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (October 24, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1449316247
ISBN-13: 978-1449316242
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.8 x 7.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
Average Customer Review: 88 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #172 in Books > Computers & Technology > Hardware & DIY > Personal Computers > Macs
- #195 in Books > Business & Money > Processes & Infrastructure > Research & Development
- #210 in Books > Computers & Technology > Operating Systems > Macintosh

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Jonah L. Walker

Essential Reading for any self proclaimed Mac Geeks!

April 4, 2005

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book is phenomenal, and really took me more inside of the actual development of the Macintosh than any other book I have read. It is told by Andy Hertzfeld who was on the original team, and brought in just as Jef Raskin was pushed aside by Steve Jobs who saw this as the future of the company.

It is told in a series of fairly chronological anecdotes that really bring a clear picture of the entire development of the original Mac, from it's origin as a sort of skunkworks to it becoming so large it had to have managers that actually forced many of the original and most talented members of the Macintosh team to leave Apple and move on to working elsewhere. And it ends with Steve Jobs oust from the Company by John Sculley from Pepsi who Jobs had brought in (Sculley would bring Apple to the point of collapse and made a deal with Microsoft that allowed them to make WINDOWS and force Macintosh into the small portion of users that it has today).

The book also has wonderful photos of the people involved as well as prinouts and photos of the early development of the programs and GUI for the Macintosh.

If you are a mac-head run out and get this book right now!!!

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Vivace

It's pretty great indeed

December 31, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I had an Apple IIC as a kid. It was one of my most fascinating items. I have seen pirates of silicon valley, read iWoz and the steve jobs biography ...I seem to be able to cram in more early Apple stories I guess because it reminds me of my childhood. anyway this one has been my favorite. its quite complete and believable. my only complaint is that it gets a bit self congratulatory at spots...c'mon how many times can we read brilliant and single handedly in one page?? but it's not nearly as bad as iwoz in this regard. on the whole it's a delightfull collection of inspiring, humorous and insane stories from a team that created many great things. works very well with coffee!

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Leandro López

Interesting and recommended to aspiring world-changers

July 7, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This collection of stories is probably required reading for anyone who wants to make a dent in the world, no matter what profession. It will show you the struggles and the high & low points of working in something you love, and all the happiness and pride that entails working on it.

One person found this helpful

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John

Nice look at history

April 30, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great story. A must read for anybody interested in the history of computers and now the modern graphical user interface evolved into something for the everyday user.

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E. G.

The real thing.

June 23, 2005

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

When I worked at Eazel (a startup that Andy Hertzfeld co-founded), some of my fondest memories was when Andy would start informally sharing anecdotes about the early days at Apple. We'd overhear from our cubicles or receive an IRC ping, and we gravitated towards his cubicle to hear more closely. (The occasional office visit from folks like Steve Wozniak and Bill Atkinson only heightened the surreality!)

This book contains most of those anecotes, and many more, written in a sincere, egoless, and often courageously introspective style. I admire and appreciate Andy for making this book possible, and for providing the added context of a tapestry of commentaries beyond his own narrative voice.

4 people found this helpful

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David Howard

A collection of interesting stories

December 25, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book is actually compiled from many stories contributed by Andy Hertzfeld, as well as others. It is available online at Andy's website. I did find the read to be quite interesting and it gives another perspective from a team member to develop the Macintosh computer, of particular interest is how he saw others in the team working and contributing, some that we may not know very much about if we were simply listening to the egocentric Steve Jobs.

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Roy Wagner

An Excellent Historic Perspective

May 10, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

An excellent historic perspective of the development of the Mac. Insightful discussions of the social and technical aspects that went into creating the first Macintosh computer and the Steve Jobs "mystic". Lots and lots of photos and images images to go with the text. Great reading to see what goes on behind the scenes in creating a truly new computer. A MUST read for any Mac fan.

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Dave H.

A great view of history

July 19, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. It has a friendly style. It is not self-serving or snobbish. I liked the technical details as well.

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