The Soul of A New Machine

This book is wonderfully written. I have not gotten to the end yet, but so far I have found it an enjoyable piece of history and one which reminds us that no matter how the quickly technology itself changes, people remain very much the same.

I got started in computer technology after the era of mainframe computers, so I had no idea of the technology involved. This book covers the design process, high-level technical details, and the community of people involved in designing these computers. It's particularly interesting to read about the transition from 16-bit to 32-bit, long before personal computers made a similar transition. Many of the challenges faced during the events covered by this book had to be solved all over again in the personal computer world, so having this earlier perspective is very educational.The most impressive aspect of this book is that the author was allowed inside the company to document details that must have been secret and under non-disclosure at the time. Getting the story after the fact, from people's recollection of the events, would not nearly have been as accurate as this author's ongoing documentation. I think that may be the most important contribution. I've been involved in serious computer operating system design teams, and subsequently read books by authors who attempted to piece together the facts years later - and they inevitably got many facts wrong. I get the impression that this book is an order of magnitude more accurate than competing retrospectives on computer design projects.You should read this book!

The Soul of a New Machine is a captivating book that chronicles the creation of Data General's Eclipse MV/8000 computer from the engineers' point of view. Through the narrative, Tracy Kidder adeptly illuminates the engineering psyche: the rush derived from the freedom to create, the sensation of being "lost in the machine", the feeling of power that comes from bringing order to chaos, the personal identity associated with creation. The book elucidates the paradoxical competing motivations that inspire an employee to maintain a daunting schedule that eclipses their personal life. Tracy may understand engineers better than they understand themselves. In fact, as an engineer, I understand myself better after reading this book.Being set in the late 1970s, the book provides the reader with an authentic glimpse into a bygone era when yellow legal pads and pencils were essential engineering tools. What's surprising is the similarities to modern-day. Engineers are still wrestling with the same fundamental questions: can machines think, what are the ethical implications of computing, what's the perfect balance between done and right? Then and now, engineers are attempting to cope with the "long-term tiredness" resulting from the rampant pace of innovation that can render a recent graduate more skilled than an industry veteran. The human component remains the most perplexing. In the end, "people are just reaching out in the dark, touching hands." The book serves as a refreshing reminder that although technology evolves at a breakneck pace, the design process remains much the same.In conclusion, The Soul of a New Machine should be required reading for business and engineering students alike. The enduring lessons are to hire smart people, enable them, and get out of their way. Engineers thrive on agency and the potential to materialize their conceptions. No amount of external motivation can breathe commiserate vitality into a design process. If you are an engineer or a manager, do yourself a favor: read and understand The Soul of a New Machine.

I first read this book when it came out - while I was in college. It's interesting to re-read it 30 years later with the perspective of what became of the Eclipse MV8000, Data General, Digital Equipment, and the other non-human Dramatis Personae. As far as the people - who knows: it's easier to follow the history of an industry than the people who comprise it. But it's the people that Kidder wisely focuses upon.What comes through is the passion that a group of people have for their work - the long hours, the camaraderie, and the joy of creation. I confess - as an engineer it tweaks me when artists dismiss the profession. Engineering is the act of creation just as much as art is - with one added requirement: the creation must be useful. The technology in the book is archaic, but the process is the same today in Silicon Valley as then in Westboro, Mass. In fact, it's the requirement for utility that consigns most engineering creation to the scrap heap in short order - that's how it's supposed to be. It's still a pleasure to do the work, and that is evident in this book.I think that reading this book helps explain something: I've never met an engineer unhappy about his or her career choice - try finding an attorney that skips to work. Is it hard to keep sharp at the cutting edge? Absolutely - the MV8000 was a market failure, Data General went under in the 1992 recession, and mighty Digital (once the largest private employer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire) was bought in a fire sale by Compaq for access to the Alpha CPU architecture - which went unused and was scrapped when Compaq was acquired by Hewlett-Packard. The same HP that laid the cornerstone for Silicon Valley and now makes money selling over-priced printer cartridges. You drive in the fast lane, you get in a wreck or two. But it is FUN to drive in the fast lane!