Books and long-reads on technology history
I like reading about the development process of technology products (software and otherwise), even when I don't understand the tech bits.
Maybe due to their open nature, it is not hard to find detailed articles, mailing list answers, and interviews that go deep about FOSS. But I also have an interest in massively successful/unsuccessful products with large, rich and sometimes convoluted creation process. So things link Linux, Windows (all versions), Mac OS, the iPhone, iOS, Android, etc.
My interest is not necessarily in biographies or accounts that deify so-called technology geniuses, but rather in narratives that don't shy from the nitty-gritty details of the technical/creative processes while also addressing the human/personal side of things.
It also doesn't need to be educational at all, I just realized these stories are enjoyable reads.
Any suggestions? ;)
It seems your focus is software, but you may like some of these. The past year I have been reading about computing and computing history so I can recommend some good ones.
The Innovators by Walter Isaacson
This is a comprehensive tome on the history of computers written by a very accomplished biographer (Isaacson also wrote the biography of Steve Jobs, and some famous ones on Einstein and Da Vinci). The book begins in in the 1800s and traces the history of computers from Charles Babbage up through the modern Internet. A theme throughout is answering what are the conditions that lead to innovation, and why did the 20th century see such explosive progress. This book tends to take what I call the "inventors-in-garages" view which is that innovations happen because of innovators, along with the right conditions. While I have some issues with the book, overall I highly recommend it. It gives a great overview of the history of computers.The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner
Covering the rise and decline of Bell Labs in the 20th century, this book takes a look at the people and inventions that came out of the famous lab and transformed the modern world. I can't recommend this book enough - it's a compelling read that makes you realize how much of the stuff you use every day came in one form or another from Bell Labs. There's not a ton of technical details although there is an effort to explain the actual inventions. You'll come away knowing what the transistor does and why that's important, but won't know how it works, for example.The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder
Tracy Kidder was a journalist embedded in a team at Data General, rushing to build a mini-computer better than the competition in 1979. This book follows the process of developing one of these early machines in an era where computer companies folded as often as they opened (Data General was later bought by Dell, not long after the book was published). Kidder does an admirable job of explaining the details of what each person on the team did, although some of the explanations seem funny from our tech-saturated vantage point. This book is more about what drives these people, often out of college, to work 18, 19, 20 hour days to make a machine that will be outdated almost as soon as it launches. There is a nice exploration of what it means to make something and leave your mark on the finished project. Again, I can't recommend this enough. It's riveting, and you won't forget some of the characters you meet along the way.On my list but yet to read are:
The Information by James Gleick
I am currently reading this, which covers generally speaking information theory and how it has changed society. It is good so far but I have some gripes the further along I get.A People's History of Computing in the United States by Joy Lisi Raskin
This book pushes back on the "inventors-in-garage" view of the Innovators and instead argues that much of computing in the US was influenced and catalyzed by people getting together and doing cool things. Did you know that there were computer timeshare networks in rural Minnesota between high schools, as early as the late 60s? After reading this I hope to have a much better view of the history of computing in the US. Collaboration and community has always been at the heart of it!Where the Wizards Stay Up Late by Katie Hafner
A book about the history of the Internet. I might be most excited about this one, but I am having a hard time finding it in book stores and I prefer not to order from Amazon if it can be avoided.