Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age

by Michael Riordan, Lillian Hoddeson

"Without the invention of the transistor, I'm quite sure that the PC would not exist as we know it today."―Bill Gates On December 16, 1947, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, physicists at Bell Laboratories, jabbed two electrodes into a sliver of germanium. The power flowing from the germanium far exceeded what went in; in that moment the transistor was invented and the Information Age was born. No other devices have been as crucial to modern life as the transistor and the microchip it spawned, but the story of the science and personalities that made these inventions possible has not been fully told until now. Crystal Fire fills this gap and carries the story forward. William Shockley, Bell Labs' team leader and co-recipient of the Nobel Prize with Brattain and Bardeen for the discovery, grew obsessed with the transistor and went on to become the father of Silicon Valley. Here is a deeply human story about the process of invention ― including the competition and economic aspirations involved ― all part of the greatest technological explosion in history. The intriguing history of the transistor ― its inventors, physics, and stunning impact on society and the economy ― unfolds here in a richly told tale."― Science News "Thoroughly accessible to lay readers as well as the techno-savvy. . . . [A] fine book."― Publishers Weekly Illustrated

Genres: History, Technology, Science, Nonfiction, Engineering, Audiobook, Physics

366 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Tech Historian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I missed this book.
Now over 20 years old it is _the_ best account about the invention of the transistor and the three main individuals responsible for it - Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley. But it also covers all the other players involved in turning a lab curiosity into a commercially viable product. Invaluable book for anyone interested in the origin of the semiconductor industry.

Read it alongside the other three books that are trilogy of the early semiconductor business:
Broken Genius: The Rise and Fall of William Shockley, Creator of the Electronic Age (Macmillan Science)
Makers of the Microchip: A Documentary History of Fairchild Semiconductor (MIT Press)
The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley by Leslie Berlin (2005-06-10)

[Matt Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic technical history on one of the most important inventions of the 20th century.

[George Kaslov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that covers the invention of the transistor from its theoretical origins all the way to the integrated circuits, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without the knowledge of chemistry, physics and/or electronics. The writer makes a valiant effort to explain all the theory, but it is done with mixed results.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives a good description of the invention of the Transistor. It covers the work that led up to the invention starting with the early twentieth century developments in physics. There are brief, but interesting biographical sketches of the early lives of the three key inventors, Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley. I found it interesting that the crash work done on radar development during WWII was key in setting the stage for the rapid post-war development of solid state devices. Bell labs was in the lead on solid state research and development, but other labs were close behind. If the transistor hadn’t been developed by Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley some other group would have done the same within a year or two. Bell labs and the inventors were fully aware of the importance of the development of solid state electronic devices. The author describes the function of electrons and ‘holes’ in semiconductors but in bits and drabs as the story progresses and the problems are worked on. But I never really gained a true understanding of how a transistor worked from the book. There were symbolic diagrams of how the devices worked, but not enough graphics on the details of the crystal with impurities that let me understand the behavior in a way I found satisfying.
Shockley was an arrogant, aggressive person that was better at self promotion than the other two inventors. He was able to gain more support from Bell management and maneuver Brattain and Bardeen out of the main transistor development path. But Shockley clearly had impressive intellectual ability and phenomenal energy and output. Eventually Shockley formed his own company but managed to alienate the brilliant men he hired, who then quit and started key electronic companies that did succeed like Intel. Shockley’s company failed because his brilliant employees “never got to work on anything that didn’t have Shockley’s persona all bound up in it”. They went to Fairchild and developed the integrated circuit in 1961. Shockley left semiconductor work and became interested in psychology. He spent the last part of his intellectual life arguing that blacks had lower IQ than whites.
The book tells the story of the development of the transistor very well. One interesting point is government funding in the form of a buyer for this technology was vital to move it forward, from the demands of WWII weapons, to the cold war missiles, to the space program race to put a man on the moon. The need for small, light, robust electronic devices by a buyer willing to pay a high price enabled the progress that led to the technology we have now.

[Peter Corrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Amazon review on March 8, 2018: There at the birth...

I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if I could. While a very interesting history it seemed to straddle the fence too much in terms of the science versus the human interest aspects of the story. I think the former was sacrificed somewhat for the benefit of the latter. For someone with no background in the subject it was easy to get lost in the technical descriptions. And despite the nod to the quantum physicists early in the book, the connection between the theory and practicality remained hazy for me. That could easily be 'user error'. Still it is a worthwhile read to gain some understanding of how we got from there to here in a such a comparatively short time period.

[Andrey Kiyanitsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written narrative about one of the most important inventions responsible for the information age. The serendipitous scientific discoveries leading to the transistor, and it's applications are astonishing. Very interesting storyline intertwined with WWII, developments in quantum physics, and our understanding of electron behavior. This also helped me better understand how transistors work and their advantages to the ubiquitous vacuum tubes of the early 20th century. I'm inspired to learn more about solid state physics and Bell Labs.

[Gregory Eakins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riordad details the people, history, and technology that ultimately resulted in the rise of modern semiconductor technology. Some serious brainpower was deployed during this time in pursuit of this technology, and the story is riveting from start to finish. He throws in just enough of the technical details that those of us knowledgeable in semiconductor physics should gain a clear picture of the challenges the key players were running into. This should be required reading for electrical engineers.

[Edgar Guevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work offers an insight on the process of creating the device that perhaps shaped the technology of the second half of the XX century. Not only gives the description of the working principles, describing semiconductor physics in laymen terms, but also a view on the personal conflicts arisen from this technological race. I would recommend this book to anyone with interest in history of science, but in particular to electronic engineers or ham radio operators.

[Erik Wetterskog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, which gives a great portrait of the persons involved in the science and engineering aspects behind the discovery and exploitation of the transistor. The authors' meticulous research creates a great backdrop to the story and captures the atmosphere in the Bell Labs.

I would reccomend the book to anyone interested in science and technology, and the birth of the semiconductor revolution.

[Viraj · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but it's very biographical and focused on where these people grew up, what their home lives were like, and so on. It comes off overly interested in the early formative years of these "great men" rather than focusing on what they did as adults and I got bored of the drawn out backstory.

[Greg M. Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Comically bad narration. Stopped listening after two minutes. Annoyingly deep voice that sounds like he’s reading from a script. Too bad as this was probably the one science book closest to my actual job.

[Metin Ozsavran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, savory, satisfying tech history book. Loves every page and minute of reading it. İt filled my evenings with enjoyment that İ was sorry when it ended. :). Can't get enough if this Silicon Valley history crap. :)

[Cica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I read it when I was younger. I've never encountered anything like this. It is informative and you'll learn a lot; yet it has several storylines, some antagonists, protagonists, and I love the ending!

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once worked as an RA and TA for Hoddeson, who always amazed me with her scientific acumen and scholarly productivity. The book covers an important part of modern scientific or technological history.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is to the invention of the integrated circuit what Richard Rhodes’ “The Making of the Atomic Bomb” is to the atomic bomb. Excellent.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is well written, but became very difficult to read due to all the details about chemistry, of which I did not understand.

[Yichuan Tang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about history behind transistor.

[John Levon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and detailed history of the development of the transistor. There's a lot of physics in here, but it's all very engaging. Doesn't paint a great picture of Shocklee's personality though.

[Christohper · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF I never want to hear another summary of quantum mechanics ever again. Maybe the biography part is good but the first 20% being quantum mechanics was a huge turn off.

[Jose Antonio La Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book!

Good book full of details for the reader.
History is unfolding page by page.
Thank you very much to the author.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors strike a good balance of science, history, and the fascinating personalities of the folks who came up with the transistor. In particular, Bill Shockley seems like a real piece of work, and I'm quite sure I wouldn't have wanted to work under him. But, one way or another, these men at Bell Labs turned our world upside-down with that first slab of germanium, and the revolution they started shows no signs of slowing. It's an important chapter of history, and I'm glad I was able to find a book covering it in such depth.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about the process of how the transistor was made and the men behind its creation. At times it reads like a science textbook, other times a history textbook, and others a biography. I found it interesting but a bit dry in places, especially in the early parts of the book. A good read for those interested in the topics of transistors and solid state physics, if you want to learn more about the science and creation behind them. If you're not particularly interested in this topic, you may find yourself bored while reading the book.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book early on during my move to NYC, and I have fond memories of walking through the arterial streets listening to it while reading on my Kindle (go technology). Overall, a relatively interesting book about the early formation of Fairchild and Intel, focused more on the early days than the late evolution of the industry. Very dry and somewhat technical, the prose was tough to get through without falling asleep at times and the character descriptions were a bit forced, but overall I got more out of this book than I put in!

[Kevin Furr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recounts the invention of the discrete transistor at Bell Labs in 1947 and the lives of its three Nobel-prize winning inventors, Brattain, Bardeen, and Shockley. A bit boring compared with other tales of invention I've read. The audiobook was annoying because the voice-actor sounded like an old cowboy reading around the campfire, which just clashed with this tale of high-tech innovation. But still a must-read if you want to follow the thread of innovation in modern technology.

[Jeff Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good biographical sketch of the major contributors to the development of the transistor, leading up to, through and beyond the process. It continues in detail through the development of the integrated circuit and touches on Moore's Law. It touches on the theory of solid state electronics in layman's terms, but spends as much time on the personality conflicts, etc.

Under 300 pages; fairly quick and easy read.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent history on the birth of the transistor, ergo the computer as we know it. Got a little dry at times with some of the personal history of the inventors, but it is very thorough. Perhaps it could have dug into the technical details a little bit more, but it's a biography and history book, not a engineering book.

[Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't see how you can understand the latter half of the 20th century without knowing about the birth of the transistor, the engineering feat which gave us personal computers, smartphones, and so much more. This is a well-written account of the discovery. This is part of the great Sloan Technology Series.

[Sagar Jethani · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best scientific histories ever written. Riordan and Hoddeson respect the reader's intelligence and refrain from dumbing the subject down. The result is a convincing drama connecting the fundamental discovery of atomic theory in the nineteenth century with the postmodern information age.

Who knew the history of the transistor would be so full of sex, violence, and betrayal?

[Eric Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT book about the human story behind the invention of the transistor. Vivid technical details. It describes field-effect transistors in a way that is actually moving. How many authors can do that?!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than 3 stars, but dies at the end if I recall. Serious semiconductor nerds find it super readable and it's nice to know where everything came from, if you like the history of science. Otherwise, skip it.