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The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution Kindle Edition

4.5 out of 5 stars 497 ratings

Barely fifty years ago a computer was a gargantuan, vastly expensive thing that only a handful of scientists had ever seen. The world’s brightest engineers were stymied in their quest to make these machines small and affordable until the solution finally came from two ingenious young Americans. Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce hit upon the stunning discovery that would make possible the silicon microchip, a work that would ultimately earn Kilby the Nobel Prize for physics in 2000. In this completely revised and updated edition of The Chip, T.R. Reid tells the gripping adventure story of their invention and of its growth into a global information industry. This is the story of how the digital age began.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

They're everywhere, but where did they come from? Silicon chips drive just about everything that sucks power, from toys to heart monitors, but their inventors aren't nearly as widely known as Edison and Ford. Journalist T.R. Reid has thoroughly updated The Chip, his 1985 exploration of the life work of inventors Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce, to reflect the colossal shift toward smarter gadgets that has taken place since then.

Satisfying as both biography and basic science text, the book perfectly captures the independence and near-obsessive problem-solving talents of the two men. Though ultimately only one of them (Noyce) ended up with legal rights to the invention, they shared a respect for each other that persisted throughout their careers. Since Kilby won the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work, the story is all the more compelling and intriguing over 40 years after the invention. Reid's work uncovers human dimensions we'd never expect to see from 1950s engineering research. --Rob Lightner

From Publishers Weekly

In 1958, "before Chernobyl, before the Challenger rocket blew up, before the advent of Internet porn or cell phones that ring in the middle of the opera," when "`technological progress' still had only positive connotations," Jack Kilby had a good idea, but wasn't sure if his boss at Texas Instruments in Dallas would let him try it. In 1959, in what would become Silicon Valley, Robert Noyce had the same idea about overcoming "the numbers barrier" in electronics: "in a computer with tens of thousands of components... things were just about impossible to make," says Noyce. In his completely revised and updated edition of The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution, Washington Post reporter and columnist T.R. Reid (Confucius Lives Next Door) investigates these underappreciated heroes of the technological age and the global repercussions of their invention. The enormity of their accomplishment was fully recognized only in 2000, when Kilby won the Nobel Prize. 3-city author tour.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000XU4UT4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 18, 2007
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Revised
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.1 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0307432032
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 497 ratings

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T. R. Reid
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T. R. Reid is a longtime correspondent for The Washington Post and former chief of its Tokyo and London bureaus as well as a commentator for National Public Radio. His books include The United States of Europe, The Chip, and Confucius Lives Next Door.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
497 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book highly readable with a writing style that makes it an enjoyable fast read. Moreover, the technical explanation is praised for its ability to explain complicated subjects, and customers appreciate the detailed history of the invention of the microprocessor. Additionally, the pacing receives positive feedback, with one customer noting its well-separated chapters, and customers find the book engaging.

47 customers mention "Readability"45 positive2 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, with its writing style and language making it an enjoyable fast read.

"...Very interesting and well written." Read more

"This is an interesting and important book about two men who changed the world...." Read more

"...The book is easy to read (at times, perhaps too easy as it is lacking some technical details) and insightful...." Read more

"...he's gotten just the right length and level of detail to keep it very interesting...." Read more

38 customers mention "Technical explanation"36 positive2 negative

Customers praise the book's technical explanation, noting its ability to break down complicated subjects and provide detailed information.

"...and insightful. I've enjoyed reading the chip a lot...." Read more

"This book is very insightful especially for those young people who were not around at the turn of the 20th century for the invention of the light..." Read more

"...worth reading both for laypersons interested in technique and specialists in the field...." Read more

"...begins with the discovery of the Edison effect and carefully explains the various technologies in a non-technical way as it goes along...." Read more

23 customers mention "History"23 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's historical content, particularly its detailed coverage of the invention of the microprocessor and electronic parts, with one customer noting it provides a complete discussion of electronics from the 19th century.

"It was a very good history of the invention of the microprocessor and the different stages of it...." Read more

"Beautiful book, I learn a lot on the microship technology story... i reconmend to any engineering computer student this book." Read more

"Good history that is well written and easy to read. I wish it had more drama and suspense that would have made this book more interesting." Read more

"...When I see these stories, it really inspires and motivates me." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one mentioning its well-separated chapters and another noting its organized structure.

"...The book consists of 11 different chapters, each covering an area in the history of the microchip...." Read more

"...good history of the invention of the microprocessor and the different stages of it...." Read more

"...Very detailed, well separated chapters. Great for students and teachers of electronics." Read more

"...Even if you have no technology backgroun. Great book, organized properly and well written with simple terms anyone can understand, this one takes..." Read more

3 customers mention "Engaging"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, with one mentioning it's enjoyable for both techies and another describing it as an entertaining tour.

"...Those issues aside, the book is very engaging, and the author does a superb job of explaining difficult technical material to non-techies." Read more

"...The text is in an easy to understand format that should be enjoyable to both techies and nintechies alike." Read more

"Quick and entertaining tour..." Read more

The book is so poorly printed. Just unreadable. I can’t understand how such a book got shipped out.
1 out of 5 stars
The book is so poorly printed. Just unreadable. I can’t understand how such a book got shipped out.
The book is so poorly printed. Just unreadable. I can’t understand how such a book got shipped out.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Events of this book is critical for late 20th century technology breakthrough.

    I always wanted to be that place where things take place ,I witnessed some part, in my own profession I found that chance, I was there. When I see these stories, it really inspires and motivates me.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    History leapt ahead during the time Reid was creating the original version of this book, and this revision trips over some details of the technology that has been accelerating since before Kilby and Noyce’s arrival at the plate.

    Lots of emphasis on bipolar device history and function, necessary to the story but a much smaller piece of the broader scope of a world today based almost entirely on field effect technology, for much the same reasons that Reid cites as the little recognized driver for the development of integrated devices.

    Indeed, the first patents for solid state devices were for three terminal field effect constructs, back as far as 1926, long before bipolar constructs were significant outside the theoretical study of solid state properties.

    The effect of the DARPA VLSI challenge that led directly to Lynn Conway and Carver Mead’s breakthrough methodology (still the basis of chip design today) specifically addressed another deeper “tyranny of numbers” that threatened to stall the pace of integrated circuit progress, the problem of keeping the organization and understanding of so many elements straight.

    The task of soldering all those connections perfectly is gravy compared to trying to be certain that everything is connected to the right node. Organizing and vetting proper function of the integration itself began to be a problem as soon as the first masks were produced.

    CMOS, PMOS and NMOS processes were already in use when Reid’s first edition was published, and I would guess some of the revisions in the current version were made to try to reflect a better sense of the full-on arrival of field effect technology that likely was originally missed.

    (Witness the embarrassing mislabeling of bipolar NPN structures with the wrong NFET equivalents, collector-base-emitter replaced with source-gate-drain, the order flipped, a common enough confusion that usually doesn’t last. But hey - a base is not a gate. It works differently, more like a bus having only one driver, but each one carries lots of passengers.)

    All in all, a pretty good bunch of important historical perspective; having been there through most of it, working with all of it professionally, it was a fun retrospective. (Kilby and Noyce were a bit before my time, but I was aware of who they were and what they were trying to do as my career got legs.)

    Recommended, a good place to start gathering the bigger picture of how that little gizmo came to be planted so firmly in everyone’s everyday life, with only a few hiccups that won’t mislead in any important way. —TR
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The Chip is a smallish (300 pages) book about the history of the microchip which has lead to miniaturization of circuits that lead to the revolution of the personal computer. The book is easy to read (at times, perhaps too easy as it is lacking some technical details) and insightful. I've enjoyed reading the chip a lot.

    The book consists of 11 different chapters, each covering an area in the history of the microchip. The first chapter starts with the invention of "the monolith idea" which is the concept that we integrate all the components on one circuit instead of wiring up different smaller and smaller components. Both Bob Noyce and Jack Kilby had this idea at around the same time and both of them are recognized as the inventor of the chip. The second chapter quickly introduces the history of electronics and the invention of the transistor... all the things that happened before before the monolith idea, the basis for the idea. Chapter 3 is the history of Jack Kilby and chapter 4 is the history of Bob Noyce (nicely done). Chapter five discusses the patent case about whether Noyce or Kilby is the first inventor and how this never really got resolved. Chapter 6 introduces computers and explains how the chip was perfect for making digital computers. Chapter 7 shows how the space race actually provided the demand for the microchips, as there wasn't enough industrial interest yet due to the price. Chapter 8 tells about how (again) Jack Kilby assisted with the invention of the handheld calculator that was the first introduction of the chip to the larger public. Chapter 9 is a bit an odd chapter, it explains how a calculator works. Chapter 10 talks about the Japanese microchip industry threatening the American and how Bob Noyce led the industry to improve quality in manufacturing that kept the US in the forefront of the industry. Chapter 11 is a closing chapter about what happened to Bob Noyce and Jack Kliby after all that.

    As I said, I started this book as another book in the history of computers, but I found myself quickly very interested in the book and spend longer reading sessions on it than usual and finished it actually rather quickly. It feels well researched, it is an easy read and well balanced the details of the particular invention with all the surrounding developments. I would recommend it to anyone who want to know anything about where chips came from and how they influence the world. Excellent book and recommended reading.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2010
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I got into the electronic business in 1954 when it was all vacuum tube and I worked in electronics until 2001. I was there and saw it all as an electronic technician working with all the parts and am more that aware of the numbers problem. We fought assembly problems for years with all the wiring necessary to make all the circuits. I worked with aircraft electronics for 13 years and then in industry for 38 years in data storage systems, magnetic tape and magnet disk, floppy and rigid. Even when we went from vacuum to solid technology it still required massive wiring and we used automatic back panel wire wrapping machines, (Ditmaco). Not until the invention of the microchip did this problem go away. The invention of the first integrated circuits was a major step but we still had the wiring problem. The microchip solved the wiring problem. As I am reading this book (The Chip) it sure brings back a lot of memories, especially trying to over come the interconnect problems. I was there and saw it all from leaded parts to surface mount, from vacuum tubes to transistors, to integrated circuits to microchips. I am very familiar with the early Fairchild and Texas Instrument parts. The Fairchild 9000 series and the T.I. 7400 series. I was an interesting enviroment and now I am enjoying reading the story.
    12 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Albert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written .
    Reviewed in India on June 29, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Fantastic book. Provides great insights about many prominent personalities and events.

    Must read!

    Beautifully written. It keeps us engaged throughout.
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a nice piece of industrial and technical history
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2014
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is a nice piece of industrial and technical history. It was interesting to see how people reacted to things back then when before chips and society evolved into so much more.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Pepito
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastico
    Reviewed in Spain on March 4, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Soy un fan de los microprocesadores. Creo que son el equivalente a la rueda y el vapor. Muy detallado libro sobre los inicios y desarrollo de ellos a lo largo del tiempo.
    Report
  • Ralf Gruetzner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr hilfreich
    Reviewed in Germany on June 11, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Steht drin was drauf steht. Eine sehr informative Lektüre zu dem Thema!!
    leider nur auf Englisch, aber dass wusste man ja vorher.
  • Bill, in BC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Want to know how microprocessors work, and were invented? This is the right book.
    Reviewed in Canada on May 21, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent, well worth reading. Not overly technical.
    One person found this helpful
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