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A review by jldavis
The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder
5.0
This is the 2nd time I've read this book and it took on a new meaning after being part of a huge AWS product launch. The feeling of camaraderie, pride, and purpose was something that I had just recently experienced which made me relate to the engineers and managers in a different way.
I loved it the first time I read it but somehow was able to love it more. At the time I didn't understand the historical context accurately. I've recently been reading about the timeline of computers which was a big help. Knowing this was in the late 70s is important because this was the rise of the personal computer and the slow death of the minicomputer.
I think it is easy to overlook this book and not understand it for what it was at the time. Computers were still foreign and not many people owned them. They were in lots of workplaces but not everyone had access to them.
This book won a Pulitzer which was surprising to me before I had read it. It was hard to believe a book about a bunch of nerds building a computer would win the prestigious award but you quickly understand how it did this after the preface of the book. Kidder starts the story by introducing the main character, Tom West, an enigmatic man on a boat off the East Coast with a group of strangers as they sail the sea. It expertly foreshadows West's character and his role as the general manager of the computer the book documents. Without ever mentioning a computer you start to wonder if you picked up the wrong book.
I wish another company would open its doors to a skilled storyteller like Kidder. Chronicling a software startup or the creation of a large service at a big company in the same way would be a riveting read given the advancement of tech.
I really recommend this book and consider it one of my favorites. Kidder is an expert at his craft and seamlessly blends the team's stories into the story of the company, Data General, and that into the overarching story of the industry.
I loved it the first time I read it but somehow was able to love it more. At the time I didn't understand the historical context accurately. I've recently been reading about the timeline of computers which was a big help. Knowing this was in the late 70s is important because this was the rise of the personal computer and the slow death of the minicomputer.
I think it is easy to overlook this book and not understand it for what it was at the time. Computers were still foreign and not many people owned them. They were in lots of workplaces but not everyone had access to them.
This book won a Pulitzer which was surprising to me before I had read it. It was hard to believe a book about a bunch of nerds building a computer would win the prestigious award but you quickly understand how it did this after the preface of the book. Kidder starts the story by introducing the main character, Tom West, an enigmatic man on a boat off the East Coast with a group of strangers as they sail the sea. It expertly foreshadows West's character and his role as the general manager of the computer the book documents. Without ever mentioning a computer you start to wonder if you picked up the wrong book.
I wish another company would open its doors to a skilled storyteller like Kidder. Chronicling a software startup or the creation of a large service at a big company in the same way would be a riveting read given the advancement of tech.
I really recommend this book and consider it one of my favorites. Kidder is an expert at his craft and seamlessly blends the team's stories into the story of the company, Data General, and that into the overarching story of the industry.