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Wednesday, 17 August 2005 |
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Current Store: UK Store
Books : The Soul of a New Machine (Modern Library)by: Tracy Kidder
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Editorial Review: Amazon.co.uk Review: The computer revolution brought with it new methods of getting work done--just look at today's news for reports of hard-driven, highly motivated young men and women developing software and online commerce who sacrifice evenings and weekends to meet impossible deadlines. Tracy Kidder got a preview of this world in the late 1970s when he observed the engineers of Data General design and build a new 32-bit minicomputer in just one year. His thoughtful, prescient book, The Soul of a New Machine, tells us stories of 35-year-old "veteran" engineers hiring new college graduates and encouraging them to work harder and faster on complex and difficult projects, exploiting the youngsters' ignorance of normal scheduling yet engendering a new kind of work ethic. These days, we are used to the "total commitment" philosophy of managing technical creation, but Kidder was surprised and even a little alarmed at the obsessions and compulsions he found. From in-house political struggles to workers permitted to tease management to marathon 24-hour work sessions, The Soul of a New Machine explores concepts that already seem familiar, even old-hat, less than 20 years later. Kidder plainly admires his subjects; while he admits to hopeless confusion about their work, he finds their dedication heroic. The reader wonders, though, what will become of it all, now and in the future. --Rob Lightner Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Humdrum readMildly interesting account of how a computer was built at the tail end of the 70s. Kidder attempts to craft memorable portraits of the young men involved but they never quite come alive for me and so the story really doesn't appeal. I have a friend who works in the computer industry who says this book has given him important insights into how he does his job. I can see that if you have a similar career to that of the people described here it would be very interesting, for the rest of ... Read More Rating: - A classic, but still very readableI read this when it first came out in paperback more than 20 years ago (I think the paperback version was in 1982). It was at a time when I was starting to get *really* interested in computers (I was in 3rd year at secondary school!). The turf war between the two groups within Data General, the dedication of the design team, the passion felt by the team for their design... all helped to convince me that I wanted to get into computing. This book was the first book I ever bought from Amazon ... Read More Rating: - Life changing!I first read this book about 20 years ago and it changed my life - seriously. From then on in I knew I wanted to work in the computer industry. I'd not read it since, and was a little nervous of re-reading it. There was no need. Its as exciting and alarming as ever. There are very few good books on the IT industry. This is one of them. Go read. Rating:  - Re-released but still woth a good readI first read this book back in 1983 and was amazed at the tenacity of the machine builders of the time. Today, I take it for granted that I can build a state of the art computer in 30 minutes - then it literally took sweat, blood and tears. Not a book I would recommend if you have no interest in the history of computing, but very interesting none the less. Rating: - Lessons for lifeI first read this wonderful book almost twenty years ago and have re-read it a number of times since then. Yes, it is about computers but it is much more about people, life and in particular their interplay in teamworking. I have recommended it to colleagues as one of the most useful books about the workplace as well as being a riveting read - it is a thriller !! One of my favourite reads - it really is that good. Browse for similar items by category:
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