Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date

I've wanted to read this book for years, and I finally did. It's dated, but a fascinating read on computer history. I will certainly read it again.

Entertaining and excellent read on early actions that helped major tech companies excel

Ever wonder where that "Smart Phone" in your hand came from? I'll tell you where ... it came from men and women who worked in companies that had one goal ... and only one - "SUCCEED ... or die trying." Don't get me wrong ... every human being lives their life pursuing goals But whereas most of our human goals derive from immediacy and "needs" - the goals in THIS book derived from "wants" and previously non-perceived VISION of how to mold the future. Robert Cringely wrote an OUTSTANDING book with wit, clarity and unabridged humor that described the entire gamut of efforts by virtually EVERY major player that was blessed to have this "vision" of what tomorrow will be like ... by chronologically describing the PATH of how your "Smart Phone" of today became so smart. Though the details he provides would stimulate the senses of a "nerd-type-teckie", he wrote it in a style that can also be easily understood by any high school student. I would recommend this book as an ESSENTIAL READ for ANYONE who is even REMOTELY thinking of starting their own business. I rate it FIVE-and-a-half Stars. It's JUST THAT GOOD.

The world's honeymoon phase with PCs and the fun they can bring is officially over. Here, in all its ugly truth, is the behind-the-silicon-scenes version of the hustlers, missed opportunities, backstabbing, blind luck, greed, egos, and sheer chutzpah that ushered in the awkward birth of the personal computer as an industry and goldmine. Read this to find out why we are beset with products far inferior to their potential. When software and PC development went from garage hobby to BIG BUSINESS many of its finer nuances and greatness fell to the wayside. Find out why the top dogs at Xerox and IBM are KICKING THEMSELVES IN THE HEAD over missed opportunities. This is "The E! True Hollywood Story" of the personal computer industry. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll guard your wallet when the next upgrade is introduced.

Cringely will make you laugh again and again and again in this series of character studies, history and folly of what's come to be known as Silicon Valley. He paints not-too-flattering images of some big names in the game but doesn't force you to accept his views; while he is never tongue-in-cheek, he still manages a playful way to make his points. The book made me chuckle often and burst out loud in laughter frequently. It's a great revelation of the industry and a classic for what it is. Anyone who has mastered QWERTY should grab a copy, it's a fun read, one that an old veteran of the 1980's personal computer "wars" can fully appreciate - been there, done that!

Tired of reading fawning novels about the movers and shakers of the computing age? Tired of reading tired knowledge passed off as far reaching vision because the author happened to be in the right place and made a pile of money?This is the book for you. Robert Cringley has no reason to be nice to anyone since (1) he writes a column on the dirt of the industry and (2) his name is a pseudonym.So, the gloves are off, and no holds are barred.Of course, there are a few of Cringely's laws, and some of those tired bits of vision (broadband. It's the next big thing, as of 1996. Spitting distance to 2001 and I'm still waiting!).The addendum to the 1996 edition is interesting, since it's less predictive than the 1992 edition. Sometime between 1996 and the present, things changed in ways that no one expected, and the predictions are rather amusing. In 1992, looking at the 'new' 486s and looking at the future, the vision is true.If you want to see someone analyze everyone's personality defects, in depth, this is the book for you. If not, there's plenty else to read.I'd recommend this work.

I had so much fun reading this book that I got sad when I finished it. It only takes you up to 1996, I am eagerly awaiting a follow up that takes you into this century and talks about the rebirth of Apple and OSX, and the MEOS and Vista debacles, XP, the rise of google, the open source movement and the Linux giant waiting in the wings. Netbooks, the iphone, kindle type book readers, the rise and fall of AMD and the intel wars, CUDA, Napster, multi-core processing and Moore's law.Solid state drives, thumb drives, Ubuntu, etc...Come on Cringely! I'm waiting, I have my money put aside for the follow up :)

Overall this book is great.Could have been better if it had a different approach to how the text is constructed. It's like having a very informal talk with someone that's been on the IT industry for very long. For the same price range you can buy a much better book (Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins Of The Internet) which is a lot better constructed and has a lot more focus on the history and the development of technologies instead of a focus on the technology industry.

Humorous take on the early days of silicon valley and the setting up of Apple, Microsoft et al. It was written in the mid-90s, before the internet really took off and we all had smartphones, so aspects of it are interesting looking back on the author's thoughts from another 20 plus years on, however this really scores in respect of the author's closeness to the subject matter (he was an IT journalist working there at the time) and the humour he injects into the subject which enlivens what is already an interesting story.

A huge fan of the old TV mini-series 'Triumph of the Nerds', I decided to finally pick this book up on the cheap. I'm fascinated by the history of the personal computer, and if you share the same interest, I suggest you pick this book up also. It's a great further insight into what happened throughout the ages with the hardware and software of our beloved PCs. Well worth a read!

This is already looking like ancient history - stories from the Wild West of the PC revolution, which as the title suggests wasn't planned. If you were at all involved int he days of PC clones, Lotus 1-2-3, CP/M etc then you'll enjoy this.

Really difficult to read.

good price