Soul of a New Machine

Computers have changed since 1981, when Tracy Kidder indelibly recorded the drama, comedy, and excitement of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market. What has changed little, however, is computer culture: the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the mystique of programmers, the entrepreneurial bravado that has caused so many start-up companies to win big (or crash and burn), and the cult of pursuing mind-bending technological innovations. By tracing computer culture to its roots, by exploring the "soul" of the "machine" that has revolutionized the world, Kidder succeeds as no other writer has done in capturing the essential spirit of the computer age.

"Mr. Kidder describes how a small team of electronic engineers at Data General Corp. created the MV/8000, a powerful new minicomputer. His saga...provides a lucid description of computer engineering. More important, it is a surprisingly gripping account of people at work,...a fascinating tale." Wall Street Journal

"If you like the writing of John McPhee, you'll love the work of Tracy Kidder....He has written The Soul of a New Machine with a reporter's eye, a novelist's heart, and a technician's understanding....What makes Kidder's book so rich is that he describes the human psyche as well as the computer industry....Brilliant, concise, and original." Playboy