Silicon Valley Books:
Fact & Fiction
Here's a list of recommended books about life in the Silicon
Valley area, chosen by your Go Milpitas Guide for their outstanding
features and editorial excellence. Each is listed alphabetically
by title within the year it was published, for those interested
in a glimpse of how we've viewed ourselves through the years.
2006
Dot Dead
(Silicon Valley Mysteries (Paperback))
by Keith Raffel
(Paperback - July 1, 2006)
The End of Medicine : How Silicon Valley (and
Naked Mice) Will Reboot Your Doctor
by Andy Kessler
(Hardcover - July 1, 2006)
Your doctor can't be certain what's going on inside your body,
but technology will. Embedding the knowledge of doctors in silicon
will bring a breakout technology to health care, and we will
soon see an end of medicine as we know it.
An exploratory study of the influence of social
networks on performance in Silicon Valley's software industry
(California)
by Djordje Lazarevic
(Paperback - March 18, 2006)
This dissertation investigates how social networks are used to
increase the performance of small-to-medium size software companies
in Silicon Valley.
Information technology analysts and managers
in the Silicon Valley: A study of male-female wage patterns (California)
by Martin Camacho
(Paperback - March 18, 2006)
This research focuses on the demographic and institutional factors
that affect labor market outcomes of males and females within
the information technology sector. The study area is the Silicon
Valley.
Janitors, Street Vendors, and Activists :
The Lives of Mexican Immigrants in Silicon Valley
by Christian Zlolniski
(Paperback - February 7, 2006)
This highly accessible, engagingly written book exposes the underbelly
of California's Silicon Valley, the most successful high-technology
region in the world, in a vivid ethnographic study of Mexican
immigrants employed in Silicon Valley's low-wage jobs.
2005
The
Chinese in Silicon Valley : Globalization, Social Networks, and
Ethnic Identity
(Pacific Formations)
by Bernard P. Wong
(Paperback - November 28, 2005)
This informative book presents important new knowledge on the
connection between Chinese ethnicity and highly-skilled labor
and entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley.
The
Global Silicon Valley Home: Lives And Landscapes Within Taiwanese
American Trans-pacific Culture
(Asian America)
by Shenglin Chang
(Hardcover - December 30, 2005)
"The Global Silicon Valley Home" takes a close look
at how participants in the jet-set, wired-to-the-Net, trans-Pacific
commuter culture have invented new ways of thinking about how
their homes reflect their personal identities.
Making
Silicon Valley : Innovation and the Growth of High Tech, 1930-1970
(Inside Technology)
by Christophe Lécuyer
(Hardcover - December 1, 2005)
Christophe Lécuyer shows that the explosive growth of
the personal computer industry in Silicon Valley was the culmination
of decades of growth and innovation in the San Francisco-area
electronics industry.
The
Silicon Eye: How a Silicon Valley Company Aims to Make All Current
Computers, Cameras, and Cell Phones Obsolete
(Enterprise)
by George Gilder
(Hardcover - April 25, 2005)
Known for weaving engrossing stories from material knotted with
numbing complexity, Gilder (Telecosm; Microcosm) delves once
again into the world of high-tech business, this time focusing
on the company Foveon and its efforts to develop a device that
will allow digital machines to see as the human eye does.
Silicon
Valley Road
by Tom Maher
(Hardcover - April 26, 2005)
Tells about true experiences of Tom Maher starting as a supervisor
and then proceeding up through the management ranks in several
Silicon Valley Companies. Some of the experiences are truly educational
and some are truly ugly.
Silicon Valley, Women, and the California
Dream: Gender, Class, and Opportunity in the Twentieth Century.
(Book review) : An article from: Canadian Journal of History
[HTML]
by Donna M. Binkiewicz
(Digital - December 1, 2005)
The world-renowned "Silicon Valley" of California conjures
up images of powerful high-tech firms in which eager employees
strive to outpace their competition and reap handsome rewards
for success.
The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley
by Betty Dravis
(Paperback - April 7, 2005)
In a book directed towards the age 8 - 13 readership, Dravis
has taken all the current obsessions (computers, blogs, emails,
anime, fantasy, and the preoccupation with fractured families),
aligned these into a storyline that is entertaining and well
designed, interspersed some drawings/illustrations by the her
granddaughter Kristy Soza Ardizzone, and in the end has captured
the imagination of children 'of all ages' while gently being
supportive of family values.
2004
The
Devil in Silicon Valley : Northern California, Race, and Mexican
Americans
by Stephen J. Pitti
(Paperback - July 26, 2004)
This book is an incredible contribution to understanding California
and the West. The author has a good eye for detail, and he tells
a vivid story. Most important, he offers incisive analysis of
race, labor and community in the Silicon Valley.
Fred Terman at Stanford: Building a Discipline,
a University, and Silicon Valley
by C. Stewart Gillmor
(Hardcover - September 15, 2004)
Throughout his life, Fred Terman was constant in his belief that
quality could be quantified, and he was adamant that a university's
success must, in the end, be measured by the success of its students.
Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In
Silicon Valley
by Mary Pope-Handy, Ken Deshaies
(Paperback - December 2004)
The It's Just Lunch Guide to Dating in Silicon
Valley
(It's Just Lunch)
by Mimi Finkel
(Paperback - December 2004)
Great dating advice and great ideas for dates. Buy one for yourself
and for all your single friends!
2003
Building High-Tech Clusters : Silicon Valley
and Beyond
by Timothy Bresnahan (Editor), Alfonso Gambardella (Editor)
Hardcover - December 2003
CIO Wisdom: Best Practices from Silicon Valley's
Leading IT Experts
by Dean Lane
Hardcover
Working
in Silicon Valley: Economic and Legal Analysis of a High-Velocity
Labor Market
(Issues in Work and Human Resources)
by Alan Hyde
Paperback - June 2003
Silicon
Valley: Exploring the Communities Behind the Digital Revolution
by David A. Laws
Paperback - February 1, 2003
Colorful images of Silicon Valley showcase both the history and
excitement of this extraordinary region.
The Silicon Valley of Dreams: Environmental
Injustice, Immigrant Workers, and the High-Tech Global Economy
(Critical America)
by David Naguib Pellow, Lisa Sun-Hee Park
Hardcover - January 2003
Next to the nuclear industry, the largest producer of contaminants
in the air, land, and water is the electronics industry. Silicon
Valley hosts the highest density of Superfund sites anywhere
in the nation and leads the country in the number of temporary
workers per capita and in workforce gender inequities.
2002
Cultures
Silicon Valley
by J. A. English-Lueck
September 2002.
Dating
in Silicon Valley: Stories, Thoughts, and Opinions on Dating
In America's Busiest High Tech City
by Roni Greer-Raulwing
This work takes dating to another level by talking honestly about
life and the pursuit of a personal life in Silicon Valley. January
4, 2002.
Down
and Out in Silicon Valley: The High Cost of the High Tech Dream
by Mel Krantzler, Patricia Biondi Krantzler, Mel Krantzier
The Krantzlers look at the psychological disorders that they
believe underpin the instant gratification ethos of the dot-com
economy. February 2002.
How
to Hack a Party Line: The Democrats and Silicon Valley
by Sara Miles
Readers fascinated by either national politics or Silicon Valley
will definitely want to read this vivid narrative of the sometimes
explosive juxtaposition of these two highly idiosyncratic subcultures.
April 2002.
Knockout
Mouse: A Bill Damen Silicon Valley Mystery
by James Calder
When Silicon Valley filmmaker Bill Damen learns that a guest
at his girlfriend's dinner party has died, allegedly of food
poisoning, the natural-born PI goes into investigative "stealth
mode"; a quick visit to the dead woman's biotech company,
LifeScience Molecules, has him convinced he's looking at a coverup,
if not downright murder. July 2002.
Seventy
Years in the Silicon Valley: An Anecdotal History
by Clarence Robert Tower
June 2002.
Startup:
A Silicon Valley Adventure
by Jerry Kaplan
The founder of the visionary, yet doomed, GO Corporation kept
notes throughout his years at the helm, thinking that one day
he would produce a book. January 2002.
The
Valley of Heart's Delight: A Silicon Valley Notebook, 1963-2001
by Michael S. Malone
Not confined to its present technological significance, the book
looks at the rich history of the Valley and the future that awaits
it. Meticulously researched and broad in scope, The Valley of
Heart's Delight is the definitive biography of a place of massive
cultural and political significance. Hardcover July 15, 2002.
Work
in the New Economy: Flexible Labor Markets in Silicon Valley
by Chris Benner
It cuts through all the hype, and analyzes both the region's
dynamism, but also the reasons behind the volatility, insecurity,
and rise in contract/temporary employment. August 15, 2002.
2001
The
Chip : How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched
a Revolution
by T. R. Reid
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. October
9, 2001.
Cloning
Silicon Valley: The Next Generation High-Tech Hotspots
by David Rosenberg
Despite the international market downturn technology based companies
still lead world industry. Despite the dotcom crash Silicon Valley
boasts more millionaires than anywhere on the planet. December
9, 2001.
DotCom Divas
E-Business Insights from the Visionary Women Founders of 20 Net
Ventures
by Elizabeth Carlassare
Moving beyond the model of two guys working in a garage, the
author describes "successful women who are creating real,
thriving Web companies from visions that were initially just
twinkles in their eyes." Hardcover January 2001.
Flying
for an Angel
by Harrison T. Beardsley
Harrison T. Beardsley's debut mystery novel "Flying For
An Angel" gives a former financial insider's view on high-tech
battles in Silicon Valley with San Francisco millionaires. November
2001.
Sex
in Silicon Valley: The Geeks in the Valley Are Getting More Than
You'd Think
by Kiana Tower
An intimate peek into the dating scene in Silicon Valley. True
stories about dating, relationships and sex in the tech capital
of the world. December 2001.
2000
Cyberselfish
A Critical Romp Through the Terribly Libertarian Culture of
High Tech
by Paulina Borsook
Do you have the libertarian mindset, believe in the superiority
of the entrepreneur, and have faith that technology will cure
socety's ills? You man be "cyberselfish." Hardcover
- May 30, 2000.
From
Silicon Valley to Singapore: Location and Competitive Advantage
in the Hard Disk Drive Industry
by David G. McKendrick, Richard F. Doner, Stephan Haggard
Explains how decisions about location helped US firms achieve
global dominance in the hard disk drive industry. December 2000.
Making the Cisco Connection
The Story Behind the Real Internet Superpower
by David Bunnell, Adam Brate
Beginning with the firm's 1984 founding at Stanford University--when
Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner first concocted a way for different
computer systems to communicate with each other--Bunnell follows
the major players and their key actions in order to place this
continuing Silicon Valley success story in the proper perspective.
February 2000.
The Silicon Valley Edge
A Habitat for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
by Chong-Moon Lee(Editor), et al
This book is an essential guide for communities and individuals
worldwide trying to understand and emulate... Silicon Valley.
November 2000.
Understanding Silicon Valley
The Anatomy of an Entrepreneurial Region
by Martin Kenney
What has made Silicon Valley so productive of new technologies
and new firms? September 2000.
1999
The
New New Thing
A Silicon Valley Story
by Michael Lewis
Jim Clark, founder of Silicon Graphics, was supposed to be bringing
up Healtheon, but instead he was spending lots of time on his
a computerized yacht. October 20, 1999.
Saucer
Wisdom
by Rudy Ruckner
Cal State San Jose University professor, Rudy Ruckner, is visited
by friendly aliens and told about the future of technology in
a humorous fashion. July 1999.
1996
Accidental Empires
How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle
Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date
by Robert X. Cringely
Gee, doesn't the title say it all? October 1996.
1995
Inside
the Tornado
Marketing Strategies from Silicon Valley's Cutting Edge
by Geoffrey A. Moore
Now that customers are beating down your door because you read
his last book, what do you do now that your product is for the
mass market? October 1995.
1994
Built
to Last
Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
by James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras
Silicon Valley and parent companies of some Milpitas companies
are analyzed. Includes Johnson&Johnson, Hewlett-Packard,
Wal-Mart. October 1994.
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