Apr 11, 2012 the book focused on the high point of bell labs innovation run. The idea factory is a well written presentation of what happened in bell laboratories in its early and middle lifetime. Since 2003 he has worked mainly as a feature writer for the new york times magazine. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation by jon gertner summary this book is about innovationabout how it happens, why it happens, and who makes it happen. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation, was a new york times bestseller. Googles free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between english and over 100 other languages. The idea factory summary details the history of bell labs and how it was able to hold up alexander graham bell s vision for over 100 years. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation ebook written by jon gertner. At its heart this is a story about the life and work of a small group of brilliant and eccentric.
The ice at the end of the world, my new book, is being published by random house and chronicles 150 years of exploration and investigation on the greenland ice sheet. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation pdf epub book. A frequent lecturer on technology and science history. Mar 20, 2012 in the idea factory, jon gertner profiles bell labs in its heyday and the scientists whose unhurried pursuit of pure research led it to innovations that define modern life. That imperative drove the scientists, engineers, and administrators profiled in jon gertners the idea factory. Its open secret which people like different ideas, mainlyfor very special moment these are definitely 10 unique the idea factory bell labs become influenced. Chicago turabian humanities citation style guide gertner, jon, the idea factory. Get jon gertners book the idea factory bell labs and the great age of. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sep 25, 2020 the idea factory the bell labs and the great age of american innovation this edition was published in 2012 by penguin press in new york. Would you try another book from jon gertner andor chris sorensen.
Jan 23, 2016 the idea factory is a fascinating look at the lives of some of the key men who shaped bell labs and created its greatest inventions. The idea factory, by jon gertner the new york times. It followed the career of several, at the time, famous and prominent scientists that were employed at bell labs. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation, an expansive new history by jon gertner, is a book that needed to be written. Jon gertner is a journalist and historian whose stories on science, technology, and nature have appeared in a host of national magazines. From transistors to telstar, idea factory traces bell labs. During the 1930s it was the site for many lectures, scientific visits einstein dropped by and.
Overall, the idea factory reads more like a narrative documenting the rise and fall of bell labs, which i assume was the authors intention, than a study of how the work at bell labs was a part of a larger revolution in the 20th century. At its heart this is a story about the life and work of a small group of brilliant and. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation by jon gertner. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what youre looking for. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the idea factory. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation jon gertner the idea factory is an incredible read, it is a powerful read. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation jon gertner the penguin press. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation jon gertner penguin press, 448 pp. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 432 pages and is available in hardcover format. The first edition of the novel was published in march 15th 2012, and was written by jon gertner.
The scale of bell labs impact is truly incredible and this book does a good job of explaining the history of the institution and what factors contributed to its remarkable output. Praise filled with colorful characters and inspiring lessons. The idea factory, bell labs and the great age of american. May 11, 2020 diving deep into bell labs history, jon gertners book, the idea factory, explores the origins of some of the twentieth centurys most important inventions and inventors, telling a story of a small group of career engineers who overcame challenges with innovative solutions. In the idea factory, jon gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth century s most important inventions and delivers a riveting and heretofore untold chapter of american history. From the transistor to the laser, from digital communications to cellular telephony, its hard to find an aspect of modern life that hasnt been touched by bell labs. This lunchroom cross pollination is much the same as described in this book. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation the idea factory. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation is a 2012 book by jon gertner that describes the history of bell labs, the research and.
At its heart this is a story about the life and work of a small group of brilliant and eccentric menmervin kelly, bill shockley, claude shannon, john pierce, and bill. Getting a exclusive ideas has certainly never been simpler. Apr 05, 2021 why did so many transformative ideas come from bell labs. A frequent lecturer on technology and science history, gertner lives with his family in new jersey.
Filled with colorful characters and inspiring lessons. Document, document, document headspinning talent the pedagogy of bell labs the history of communications a government supported. Can we build an american idea factory for the 21st century. It explores the history of bell labs from the 1920 to the 1980. Get jon gertners book the idea factory bell labs and the. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation kindle edition by gertner, jon. Gertners portraits of kelly and the cadre of talented scientists who worked at bell labs are animated by a journalistic ability to make their. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation 9781594203282 by gertner, jon and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Jon gartner, the author of the book, answers one, the most important question of our era what causes innovation.
Bell labs and the great age of american innovation by jon gertner 2012, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Author of the ice at the end of the world jon gertner. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation, was published by penguin press in 2012. The definitive history of americas greatest incubator of innovation, the birthplace of some of the 20th centurys most influential technologies, including the integrated circuit, the communications satellite and the cell phone. This innovative laboratory, established in the 1920s, was the source of dozens, if not hundreds, of technological innovations, effectively ushering in our modern digital age. This is one of the greatest books ive ever read about innovation. The idea factory explores one of the most critical issues of our time. Sep 21, 2017 jon gertners the idea factory is a mild corrective to the commonly found anguished certainty that americas days of innovative scientific greatness are behind us.
The definitive history of america s greatest incubator of innovation, the birthplace of some of the 20th century s most influential. Jon gertner author of the ice at the end of the world. Overall, the idea factory reads more like a narrative documenting the rise and fall of bell labs, which i assume was the authors intention, than a study of how the work at bell labs was a. Jul 20, 2017 reading the idea factory by jon gertner will. Twas the biggest, and arguably the best, laboratory for new ideas in the world. A great read for anyone who spent a career there and wants to remind themselves of what a great company they. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation pdf book by jon. One of the bell labs buildings was designed with a superlong. Bell labs and great age of american innovation by jon gertner hardcover mint condition. Will include dust jacket if it originally came with one. At its heart this is a story about the life and work of a small group of brilliant and eccentric menmervin kelly, bill shockley, claude shannon, john. In the idea factory, jon gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth centurys most important inventions and delivers a riveting and heretofore untold chapter of american history. Search the worlds information, including webpages, images, videos and more.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the idea factory. Booksshannon, jim fisk, melvin kelly, william baker, john pierce, william shockley. Gertners portraits of kelly and the cadre of talented scientists who worked at bell labs are animated by a journalistic ability to make their discoveries and. In the idea factory, jon gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth centurys most important inventions and delivers a riveting and heretofore untold. Discover the idea factory as its meant to be heard, narrated by chris sorensen. Overall, the idea factory reads more like a narrative documenting the rise and fall of bell labs, which i assume was the authors intention, than a study of how the work at bell labs was a part. The idea factory is a fascinating look at the lives of some of the key men who shaped bell labs and created its greatest inventions. Mar 15, 2012 in the idea factory, jon gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth centurys most important inventions and delivers a riveting and heretofore untold chapter of american history.
In its exploration of the might and works of bell labs, this book reminds us that genius requires the right cultural environment to flourish, and it addresses whether collective or individual genius is the mainspring of. In this first full portrait of the legendary bell labs, gertner takes readers behind one of the greatest collaborations between business and science in history. Bell labs was a legendary place, an industrial lab in. A sweeping, atmospheric history of bell labs that highlights its unparalleled role as an. Diving deep into bell labs history, jon gertners book, the idea factory, explores the origins of some of the twentieth centurys most important inventions and inventors, telling a story of a small group of career engineers who overcame challenges with innovative solutions. The author has captured the view from within the lab and has presented a history that is in many ways presented in a manner in which the lab people would have wanted it presented. Bell labs and the great age of american innovation by gertner, jon. Bell labs holds an unparalleled role as an incubator of innovation and birthplace of the centurys most influential technologies.
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