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The Soul of a New Machine (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

by Tracy Kidder (Author) "FOR A TIME after the first pieces of Route 495 were laid down across central Massachusetts, in the middle 1960s, the main hazard to drivers..." (more)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
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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



Synopsis

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award. Tracy Kidder recounts the feverish efforts of a team of Data General researchers to create a new 32 bit superminicomputer. A compelling account of individual sacrifice and human ingenuity. Soul of a New Machine endures as the classic chronicle of the computer age and the masterminds behind its technological advances.
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FOR A TIME after the first pieces of Route 495 were laid down across central Massachusetts, in the middle 1960s, the main hazard to drivers was deer. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Lessons for life, 18 Dec 2002
By geoff dendle (Sussex, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Soul of a New Machine (Paperback)
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.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing!, 15 Dec 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: The Soul of a New Machine (Paperback)
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.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for all computer engineering courses, 28 May 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Soul of a New Machine (Paperback)
Computers may have moved on a lot since the time of Data General, DEC, etc, but the content is really timeless. It should be made compulsory reading for all budding computer engineers and project managers. It is also a good nostalgia kick for those who have been in the business a bit longer. I too was once a midnight programmer.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Humdrum read
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... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Adam Graham Malster

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, but still very readable
I read this when it first came out in paperback more than 20 years ago (I think the paperback version was in 1982). Read more
Published on 15 April 2007 by S. R. Elliott

4.0 out of 5 stars Re-released but still woth a good read
I first read this book back in 1983 and was amazed at the tenacity of the machine builders of the time. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2003 by David Richardson

5.0 out of 5 stars gripping, realistic, truthful. OTT? nope....
this is well worth reading. a useful look at the state of then, now and how we've advanced. written for the non-techies (we can skip these bits :)), it's very readable and not too... Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars As vital today as it was 20 years ago
Although Kidder writes about a team assembled over 20 years ago to design a piece of hardware, the observations he makes about the characters within the Eclipse Group are still... Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars So good I read it TWICE! Then I bought the hard cover.
Tracy Kidder has captured the heart and soul of the daunting task of making a technological marvel. The constraints of time, budgets, personalities, plus competitors breathing... Read more
Published on 11 Jul 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, gripping and entertaining - best book...
...I've read in a very long time! Some of the technologies may be a bit dated but the core issues remain the same and this book is a timeless treasure. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Lifeboat for Over Achievers
After 25 years of software development, most of it on 'Impossible' projects, I find my 1981 printing to be one of my prized posessions. Read more
Published on 8 Jul 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book. A must for a novice yet to enter this field
The book really goes on to show, what it takes to put life in the machine.The author does a great job in addressing the various issues of project development and management.
Published on 18 Mar 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book; Required reading on Organizational Behavior
Outstanding book. Required reading for an MBA course on Organizational Behavior at Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 1997

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