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

Humdrum read, 08 Jul 2008
Mildly 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 us I'm not so sure.

The most interesting chapter is "Going to the Fair" in which there is a brief (all too brief) discussion on how computers will change society. I would have preferred more in this vein. Not a bad book, I'm glad I read it, but not a good book either.


A classic, but still very readable, 15 Apr 2007
I 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 UK (in 2000), and the second book I ever purchased online (the first book was from Amazon US in 1999 because I got a voucher for money off!) - when I was looking for a treat for myself, I couldn't think of anything better.

It may be 25 years old and the world of computing may have changed beyond all recognition, but the struggles of the team designing Project Eagle (which became the Eclipse MV/8000, which I used at college and University!) is recognisable to anyone who works in the field, and most people outside of the field would also recognise the dedication of the team!

Definitely recommended!

Life changing!, 15 Dec 2003
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.

Re-released but still woth a good read, 04 Dec 2003
I 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.

Lessons for life, 18 Dec 2002
I 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.

So where do you want to go tomorrow? That's the question Bill Gates tries to answer in Business @ the Speed of Thought. Gates offers a 12-step programme for companies wanting to do business in the next millennium. The book's premise: Thanks to technology, the speed of business is accelerating at an ever-increasing rate and to survive, it must develop an infrastructure--a "digital nervous system"--that allows for the unfettered movement of information inside a company. Gates writes: "The most meaningful way to differentiate your company from your competition ... is to do an outstanding job with information. How you gather, manage and use information will determine whether you win or lose."

The book is peppered with examples of companies that have already successfully engineered information networks to manage inventory, sales, and customer relationships better. The examples run from Coca-Cola's ability to download sales data from vending machines to Microsoft's own internal practices, such as its reliance on e-mail for company-wide communication and the conversion of most paper processes to digital ones (an assertion that seems somewhat at odds with the now-infamous "by hand on sheets of paper" method of tracking profits that was revealed during Microsoft's antitrust trial).

While Gates breaks no new ground--dozens of authors have been writing about competing on a digital playing field for some time, among them Carl Shapiro and Hal Varian in Information Rules and Patricia Seybold in Customers.com--businesses that want a wakeup call may find this book a ringer. With excerpts in Time magazine, a dedicated Web site and an all-out media assault, Microsoft is working hard to push Business @ the Speed of Thought into the international dialogue and for many it will be difficult to see the book as anything but a finely tuned marketing campaign for the forthcoming versions of Windows NT and MS Office. Nevertheless, as Gates has shown time and time again, he, Microsoft, and perhaps even this book you may ignore at your own peril. --Harry C. Edwards, Amazon.com

Humdrum read, 08 Jul 2008
Mildly 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 us I'm not so sure.

The most interesting chapter is "Going to the Fair" in which there is a brief (all too brief) discussion on how computers will change society. I would have preferred more in this vein. Not a bad book, I'm glad I read it, but not a good book either.


A classic, but still very readable, 15 Apr 2007
I 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 UK (in 2000), and the second book I ever purchased online (the first book was from Amazon US in 1999 because I got a voucher for money off!) - when I was looking for a treat for myself, I couldn't think of anything better.

It may be 25 years old and the world of computing may have changed beyond all recognition, but the struggles of the team designing Project Eagle (which became the Eclipse MV/8000, which I used at college and University!) is recognisable to anyone who works in the field, and most people outside of the field would also recognise the dedication of the team!

Definitely recommended!

Life changing!, 15 Dec 2003
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.

Re-released but still woth a good read, 04 Dec 2003
I 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.

Lessons for life, 18 Dec 2002
I 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.

Sharing Is Good, But What Should Be Shared?, 28 May 2004
One of the primary benefits of a human nervous system is to allow the senses and the mind to be in close contact. This is most helpful to alerting us to opportunities and dangers so we respond more quickly.

When the nervous sytem is working well, this is great. Disease can cause these signals to be scrambled, and the individual fares poorly.

In this book, Mr. Gates argues persuasively for having a digital counterpart to the human nervous system. What he fails to focus on enough is how to identify what data to capture, how to turn data into knowledge, and how to turn knowledge into timely action.

For those subjects, you'll have to read Bill Jensen's book on Simplicity. If you only have time to read one or the other, I suggest Simplicity over Business @ the Speed of Thought.

The wired world easily overwhelms. Timely e-mails can turn into hundreds of e-mails. Data can turn into overwhelming quantities of confusion. Without the skills and tools to do data mining, the digital nervous sytem may just make things worse. Think about it.

A reason for being concerned about this point is the history of Microsoft itself, usually having to buy or copy innovations by others to advance its technology . . . usually arriving after targeted dates with software that crashes all the time . . . usually arriving with software that is so filled with unecessary features that it runs more slowly than typewriters did in the predigital age.

My sense from a recent site visit to Dell Computer is that Dell is far ahead of Microsoft in communicating and acting on information. I suggest you read Direct from Dell instead of this book if you only have time to read two books.

From a man who is supposed to be a great visionary of technology, I was quite disappointed in this book. I only saw a flawed vision that was more backward looking than forward looking.

This book wasn't timely when it came out . . . and time hasn't been good to its message.

Time for Business to get into IT, 21 Sep 2000
I found this book very useful in explaining the way that IT can be applied by businesses, large and small.

Although much of the information contained in the book is well recognised within the IT industry, the message still hasn't hit home for many business owners and managers.

Working in systems development, I still find that senior managers barely have a grasp of IT at all, let alone how it is going to shape their industry.

The message from this book is very timely, and is directed at the right audience. The limiting factor in business today is not IT, but people's ability to exploit it. I think that this has been true for a long time now !

Excellent overview to ensure business embraces technology, 25 Jan 2000
This book provides an excellent overview of how a business needs to adapt its internal business systems to survive, adapt and embrace the latest technology. It is written in a non-technical way which makes it ideal for non IT managers.

Can the World's Foremost Copier Be a Visionary?, 08 Dec 1999
Microsoft is renowned for watching trends, finding the best provider of new ideas and services, and buying/copying that innovation. You might call the company, the world's greatest fast follower. With the tremendous market power of its installed base of Windows, the company has moved profitably in a lot of new directions. IBM did the same before the Justice Department made the company allow anyone to use its operating sytem at modest cost. IBM also made lots of money. Was IBM a visionary company at the time? Absolutely not. Does Microsoft's success mean that it is a visionary company now? Probably not. For example, Gate's view of a paperless, electronic world proved to be a real problem during the company's recent antitrust trial with the U.S. government. Electronic records of aggressive behavior and intent kept showing up to contradict Gate's live testimony. Also remember that Gates thought the Internet was a nonstarter until quite recently, when it began its come-from-behind charge against Netscape. Specifically, the weakness of the vision is that it makes a company likely to be too internally focused. You can communicate so well with one another that you do not communicate so well with the customers and others who are important to you. I personally found the vision of Direct from Dell and Customer.com to be much more relevant. Read this book with caution, but do read it because we all need to know where Microsoft plans to take us. We'll have to go there anyway, to some extent.

This book is a must to get the grey matter working, 22 Nov 1999
For the budding entrepreneur or business man this is a must. All CEOs,directors should have it as a bible.

Humdrum read, 08 Jul 2008
Mildly 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 us I'm not so sure.

The most interesting chapter is "Going to the Fair" in which there is a brief (all too brief) discussion on how computers will change society. I would have preferred more in this vein. Not a bad book, I'm glad I read it, but not a good book either.


A classic, but still very readable, 15 Apr 2007
I 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 UK (in 2000), and the second book I ever purchased online (the first book was from Amazon US in 1999 because I got a voucher for money off!) - when I was looking for a treat for myself, I couldn't think of anything better.

It may be 25 years old and the world of computing may have changed beyond all recognition, but the struggles of the team designing Project Eagle (which became the Eclipse MV/8000, which I used at college and University!) is recognisable to anyone who works in the field, and most people outside of the field would also recognise the dedication of the team!

Definitely recommended!

Life changing!, 15 Dec 2003
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.

Re-released but still woth a good read, 04 Dec 2003
I 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.

Lessons for life, 18 Dec 2002
I 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.

Sharing Is Good, But What Should Be Shared?, 28 May 2004
One of the primary benefits of a human nervous system is to allow the senses and the mind to be in close contact. This is most helpful to alerting us to opportunities and dangers so we respond more quickly.

When the nervous sytem is working well, this is great. Disease can cause these signals to be scrambled, and the individual fares poorly.

In this book, Mr. Gates argues persuasively for having a digital counterpart to the human nervous system. What he fails to focus on enough is how to identify what data to capture, how to turn data into knowledge, and how to turn knowledge into timely action.

For those subjects, you'll have to read Bill Jensen's book on Simplicity. If you only have time to read one or the other, I suggest Simplicity over Business @ the Speed of Thought.

The wired world easily overwhelms. Timely e-mails can turn into hundreds of e-mails. Data can turn into overwhelming quantities of confusion. Without the skills and tools to do data mining, the digital nervous sytem may just make things worse. Think about it.

A reason for being concerned about this point is the history of Microsoft itself, usually having to buy or copy innovations by others to advance its technology . . . usually arriving after targeted dates with software that crashes all the time . . . usually arriving with software that is so filled with unecessary features that it runs more slowly than typewriters did in the predigital age.

My sense from a recent site visit to Dell Computer is that Dell is far ahead of Microsoft in communicating and acting on information. I suggest you read Direct from Dell instead of this book if you only have time to read two books.

From a man who is supposed to be a great visionary of technology, I was quite disappointed in this book. I only saw a flawed vision that was more backward looking than forward looking.

This book wasn't timely when it came out . . . and time hasn't been good to its message.

Time for Business to get into IT, 21 Sep 2000
I found this book very useful in explaining the way that IT can be applied by businesses, large and small.

Although much of the information contained in the book is well recognised within the IT industry, the message still hasn't hit home for many business owners and managers.

Working in systems development, I still find that senior managers barely have a grasp of IT at all, let alone how it is going to shape their industry.

The message from this book is very timely, and is directed at the right audience. The limiting factor in business today is not IT, but people's ability to exploit it. I think that this has been true for a long time now !

Excellent overview to ensure business embraces technology, 25 Jan 2000
This book provides an excellent overview of how a business needs to adapt its internal business systems to survive, adapt and embrace the latest technology. It is written in a non-technical way which makes it ideal for non IT managers.

Can the World's Foremost Copier Be a Visionary?, 08 Dec 1999
Microsoft is renowned for watching trends, finding the best provider of new ideas and services, and buying/copying that innovation. You might call the company, the world's greatest fast follower. With the tremendous market power of its installed base of Windows, the company has moved profitably in a lot of new directions. IBM did the same before the Justice Department made the company allow anyone to use its operating sytem at modest cost. IBM also made lots of money. Was IBM a visionary company at the time? Absolutely not. Does Microsoft's success mean that it is a visionary company now? Probably not. For example, Gate's view of a paperless, electronic world proved to be a real problem during the company's recent antitrust trial with the U.S. government. Electronic records of aggressive behavior and intent kept showing up to contradict Gate's live testimony. Also remember that Gates thought the Internet was a nonstarter until quite recently, when it began its come-from-behind charge against Netscape. Specifically, the weakness of the vision is that it makes a company likely to be too internally focused. You can communicate so well with one another that you do not communicate so well with the customers and others who are important to you. I personally found the vision of Direct from Dell and Customer.com to be much more relevant. Read this book with caution, but do read it because we all need to know where Microsoft plans to take us. We'll have to go there anyway, to some extent.

This book is a must to get the grey matter working, 22 Nov 1999
For the budding entrepreneur or business man this is a must. All CEOs,directors should have it as a bible.

Where we've come from where we're going, 23 May 2007
If you've ever felt that you're becoming and old fool because you care more about your old paperbacks than the latest instalment of Lost, then Sven is the man to put the iron back in your soul.No cultural reletavism, no pandering to the cleverness of the computer nerd.Reading is King,Sven tells you why.

These days we seem to be creating information faster than we can store it, but the near future is looking bright. Cornell University professor William Y Arms offers a programme for that future in Digital Libraries, a synthesis of library and computer sciences that presents the history and current developments in each field with special emphasis on their interactions.

Since the book necessarily must appeal to a broad spectrum of professionals, any given reader will find some parts elementary, but Arms clearly maps the common ground and much of the text will appeal to all. Chapters covering the basics of information management, the Internet, security, archives and retrieval bridge the traditional books-and-shelves library systems and the often jury-rigged information architecture developed through 40 years of computer use.

While the text is laden with plenty of sidebars that contain historical information or definitions--crucial for professionals entering the interdisciplinary zone--they tend to break up the flow unacceptably. Although it's important to understand both MARC codes and TCP/IP protocols, it is best for each reader to decide what supplementary information is most needed.

Digital Libraries is an ambitious and important book--if we are to develop truly efficient and accessible information management systems, everyone concerned must understand their shared history and move forward as one. --Rob Lightner, Amazon.com