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kcrouth's review against another edition
3.0
The Soul of a New Machine is an extremely interesting story to someone like me who has been working with computers for over 30 years. Presented within it is much detail regarding the people and processes that make up the engineering and design process involved in the Data General Eclipse MV/8000. Much of it felt familiar as i recall my 15 years spent in IC Engineering, followed by 15 years in IT in support of Engineering processes. Even having lived though some of this story myself, i found the account fascinating and affirming in that my experience was representative of the engineering process in general. This narrative does not flow as smoothly and seamlessly as i expected, but i'm not going to argue with the Pulitzer Prize committee :) It is a great story and I'm thankful to Mr. Kidder for telling it. It had to have been a significant task to capture and report this story.
vemana's review against another edition
4.0
I heard great things about this book before I picked it up. I started reading it and began to really like the way the characters were constructed, setting and the work people did was explained. I thought it was fictional. A wiki search 50 pages in told me I was very wrong. This book won Tracy Kidder the Pulitzer for creative non fiction. And it is amazing.
Kidder does a great job of explaining how the schematics and the innards of computers work. Set in '78-'79, this book captures the tale of how a team in Data General, the Eclipse group worked and created a new machine from the ground up and what they did on the way there. Kidder does a brilliant job of creating strong characters out regular software engineers and helps us examine their quest for getting a "name on the machine" and their unquestioned devotion to the work they 'signed up' for. Soul of a New Machine is a great examination of the modern techno startup culture and the machinations of the post industrial workforce. It is also a rumination over management techniques and working for "passion and not money".
25 years down the line, I feel it still captures the life in the world of computer engineers and the silicon valley culture. Though some companies have seemingly moved on from mushroom management techniques, it seems like even the biggest and chic ones practice participatory variations of it. And this behavior has spread. Is this way the world no operates. Is this a neo liberal turn in the workplace behavior and expectations?
Kidder does a great job of explaining how the schematics and the innards of computers work. Set in '78-'79, this book captures the tale of how a team in Data General, the Eclipse group worked and created a new machine from the ground up and what they did on the way there. Kidder does a brilliant job of creating strong characters out regular software engineers and helps us examine their quest for getting a "name on the machine" and their unquestioned devotion to the work they 'signed up' for. Soul of a New Machine is a great examination of the modern techno startup culture and the machinations of the post industrial workforce. It is also a rumination over management techniques and working for "passion and not money".
25 years down the line, I feel it still captures the life in the world of computer engineers and the silicon valley culture. Though some companies have seemingly moved on from mushroom management techniques, it seems like even the biggest and chic ones practice participatory variations of it. And this behavior has spread. Is this way the world no operates. Is this a neo liberal turn in the workplace behavior and expectations?
milliemudd's review
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness and Sexism
lprnana6572's review against another edition
5.0
As far as I'm concerned, Tracy Kidder can do no wrong. He makes the seemingly most mundane topics fascinating.
jrwren's review against another edition
5.0
Must read, even if it feels like a tiny slog ½ way through, the last few chapters are delightful.
stag1e's review against another edition
5.0
Captures the thrill of creating a new computer very accurately and it's a very intriguing, inspiring story. However, the actual work culture that was presented is another topic that I'm not positive towards. Besides that, I think that it is a great book and should be read by budding programmers to wet their appetite. Also, it serves as a reminder of what a great workplace should be.