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 development wing of AT&T, as well as many of its eccentric personalities, such as Claude Shannon and William Shockley.[1][2][3][4] It is Gertner's first published book.
 First edition | |
| Author | Jon Gertner |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Bell Labs |
| Genre | Corporate history |
| Publisher | Penguin Press |
Publication date | March 15, 2012 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), print (paperback), e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 432 |
| ISBN | 978-1594203282 |
| Followed by | The Ice at the End of the World: An Epic Journey into Greenland's Buried Past and Our Perilous Future |
Reception
editThe New York Times said that Mr. Gertner's "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 inventions utterly comprehensible — indeed, thrilling — to the lay reader".[5]
The Idea Factory was reviewed favorably by Foreign Policy, the New York Times, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer and others.[5][6][7] Three adapted excerpts from the book were published in TIME.[8]
Facebook co-founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg recommended The Idea Factory to his book club in 2015, saying of the choice, "[he is] very interested in what causes innovation — what kinds of people, questions and environments."[9][10]
References
edit- ^ Rick Wartzman (14 August 2018). "This new laboratory will explore how people can truly flourish at work". Fast Company. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Kelly Giuliano (20 November 2018). "Author says he could not imagine Bell Labs having a future". CentralJersey.com. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "The Idea Factory: How Bell Labs Created The Future". NPR. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Derek Thompson (1 November 2017). "Google X and the Science of Radical Creativity". The Atlantic. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ a b "'The Idea Factory,' by Jon Gertner". The New York Times. March 19, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
- ^ Konstantin Kakaes (15 March 2012). "Book Review: Jon Gertner's "The Idea Factory"". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Karen R. Long (9 April 2012). "In 'The Idea Factory,' Jon Gertner paints Bell Labs astutely". Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Jon Gertner (21 March 2012). "How Bell Labs Invented the World We Live in Today". TIME. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Richard Feloni (9 November 2015). "Why Mark Zuckerberg wants everyone to read about the lab that has won the most Nobel Prizes". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Marguerite Ward (11 April 2017). "2 books that changed the way Mark Zuckerberg thinks about innovation". NBC. Retrieved 14 March 2019.