Inventing the Electronic Century: The Epic Story of the Consumer Electronics and Computer Industries, With a New Preface

by Alfred D. Chandler Jr.

Consumer electronics and computers redefined life and work in the twentieth century. In Inventing the Electronic Century , Pulitzer Prize–winning business historian Alfred D. Chandler, Jr., traces their origins and worldwide development. From electronics prime mover RCA in the 1920s to Sony and Matsushita’s dramatic rise in the 1970s; from IBM’s dominance in computer technology in the 1950s to Microsoft’s stunning example of the creation of competitive advantage, this masterful analysis is essential reading for every manager and student of technology.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Economics

321 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2001

About the author

Alfred DuPont Chandler, Jr. was a professor of business history at Harvard Business School and Johns Hopkins University. Called "the Herodotus of business history," he wrote extensively about the scale and the management structures of modern corporations. His works redefined business and economic history of industrialization.

Reviews

[Samuel Peck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful scan of history of consumer electronics and computer industries. Author has undoubtedly done a lot of legwork and research.

Not super updated as it covers only the period leading up to 1996,, but one can gather insights from the historical development of the US, European and Japanese electronics industries and see some parallels to today's tech industries.

However, the writing was bogged down by a barrage of facts and trivia, and the author tends to repeat himself. One has to wade through/skip entire passages of mind-numbing statistics and minutiae to get to the key takeaways. He really spends too many words delivering the same simple messages: one has to punch through many paragraphs of minutiae to learn that the author really wants the reader to understand that one has to DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED LEARNING BASE; THOU SHALT NOT COMPETE AND GROW BY UNDERTAKING POINTLESS MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS.

If the writing was sharpened to be more succinct, the book would have been a shorter, more enjoyable and insightful read.

[Arjun · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Inventing the Electronic Century" vividly narrates the captivating journey of consumer electronics and computers. The book skillfully weaves together the evolution of technology and its profound impact on society. A must-read for tech enthusiasts, offering deep insights into the remarkable progress that has shaped our modern world.