Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology by Chris MillerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hooter: How the evolution of microprocessors has shaped politics and economics of the world
In a very relatable manner, Chris is able to explain the rise of Silicon Valley through entrepreneurs / scientists and the evolution that went beyond a mere business / industry to playing a critical role in geo political torrents that went across the world. From the start of Fairchild, AMD, Intel, Micron and numerous players we have heard of as businesses to the generations of microprocessors and related technology advancements for fabrication and lithography to their uses primarily driven by military and then civilian - there is a pot pourri of it all in an easy paced manner.
Gordon Moore of Moore's Law fame and a lot of innovators get a sizeable presence in the start of the book as they move around spinning off new companies that are now giants or legends in their own rights. The transition of that journey through the Cold War and how South East Asia has not only joined but overtaken the race in a lot of aspects make for interesting reading on how closely connected the world is especially when economics and politics come head to head.
A key pattern that does emerge is how the race for military might has usually seen the faster evolution of technology which then follows through to the civilian space - From DARPA to how Microsoft helped Intel really become the giant they have been.
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