Praise for The Big Score
Mike Malone’s epic depiction of Silicon Valley was a calling card for me and countless other young entrepreneurs with a background in tech. Malone’s stories captured the essence of Valley culture and the many outsized personalities who helped create this mecca of tech. Years later, this book is still relevant and offers insights into the Valley and its ongoing place in the world.”
Mike Malone is the gold standard for telling Silicon Valley’s history. He has witnessed the evolution of the Valley from fruit groves to office parks and has cataloged the world’s dependency on the Valley’s innovative technology. Experience the growth of Silicon Valley through the eyes of a pioneer, friend, reporter, and mentor to so many of us early Valley entrepreneurs.”
Since 1985, when The Big Score was originally published, the dominant and seemingly enduring companies it documented have mostly fallen by the wayside, and the overall technological landscape is wildly different. And so, while The Big Score continues to exist as an encyclopedic and highly entertaining record of Silicon Valley’s origins, it also provides a glimpse of what’s to come. Nothing ever changes in Silicon Valley, it implicitly testifies, and nothing ever stays the same.”
From its discussion of the Valley's deep roots in the semiconductor industry, to the rise of start-ups, venture capital, and the emergence of new models of management, The Big Score documents the beginnings of a technological transformation. When the book was first published, the microprocessor was kickstarting the computer industry. Today, our greatest innovators continue to build on the work of these early pioneers.”
As Silicon Valley began its long march to global dominance, one writer was there to record it all—from the tiniest etchings on silicon wafers to the galaxy sized egos that built Apple, Intel, Google and others—and that writer, Mike Malone, turned it into a saga for the ages. He’s been called Silicon Valley’s Boswell, but I think Cecille B. DeMille captures Malone’s epic storytelling power.”
This is a captivating contemporary history of the pre-internet computer industry. Now, 36 years later, it is a fascinating time capsule chronicling the roots of an explosion that is about to occur. Malone's refreshingly honest new foreword, describing retrospectively what he did and didn't get right, is by itself worth the price of admission.”
The Big Score covers the people and companies that shaped many aspects of early Silicon Valley—people from humble beginnings who took huge risks to accomplish great things while dealing with their own fallibility. This book captures the can-do maker-spirit of the early tech industry and gives us a unique view into a key moment in time.”
The story of Silicon Valley and the digital transformation underway in every facet of our lives can be told from a thousand different vantage points. Read this book to learn that the essential element in the story may not, in fact, be silicon, but rather the people who made it.”
What’s remarkable about The Big Score? It’s truly the first, and by far the best, panoramic history of the Valley’s founding. But more than that, it shows the emergence of Mike Malone as the conscience of Silicon Valley, something the Valley needs now more than ever.”
Praise for Scientific Freedom
A superb book, both inspiring and provocative. Braben strives to ensure the most creative scientists, if completely free to pursue unorthodox research, will aim to attain the ‘elixir of civilization.’”
All scientists, granting agencies, and policymakers should read this refreshing book and respond to the need to change current funding paradigms.”
Don Braben makes persuasive arguments that true innovation relies on freedom to innovate through the support of outstanding individuals. … He critiques existing science funding mechanisms as stultifying and proposes an exciting and compelling agenda to fund science.”
This book should be read by everyone who cares about our own future.”
Braben sets out his ideas for how new, flourishing scientific inputs might be chosen—to the benefit of us all.”
Don Braben is an iconoclast. May this book inspire those who read it to lend their support to his vision.”
Don Braben has long held visionary views of how to fund the most innovative and creative science. It cannot be denied that, with the right financial support, his approach can be made to work spectacularly.”
Scientific Freedom is an important book: beautifully written, brimming with scholarship, and lightly spiced with Liverpudlian wit. … [It] is a book of revelations and revolutions. Scientific freedom is needed now as never before.”
Praise for Working in Public
Nadia writes from a unique perspective at the intersection of open source, economics, and poetry. This is the definitive book on the dynamics of online creative communities.”
Nadia is one of today's most nuanced thinkers about the depth and potential of online communities, and this book could not have come at a better time as the ways we relate to each other has become sharply more mediated by the internet.”
In the age of information abundance, we're all maintainers now. Working in Public is an anthropological dive into the stories of real developers, providing us a lens of open source with which to ask new questions. Nadia presents us with a book not focused on just money, licenses, or code but for all of us who make, as creators of all kinds.”
Working in Public is the fantastic follow-up to Roads and Bridges, and shows how Nadia's scope has widened and thoughts have evolved since the first book. A must-read for anyone interested in open source software communities.”
Praise for The Art of Doing Science and Engineering
Hamming was always as much a teacher as a scientist, and having spent a lifetime forming and confirming a theory of great people, he felt he could prepare the next generation for even greater greatness. That’s the premise and promise of this book.”
Hamming is here to tell you about excellence. His lessons unfold through personal stories of discovery and failure—life as an extraordinary scientist. But Hamming demands that you do extraordinary work, too, and for that he offers the best advice I know.”
Your last chance to read the words of thinking of one of the major intellects that the USA has produced.”
Praise for The Making of Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia was the first computer game I ever fell in love with. Mechner’s journey is a universal one for anyone creating something brand new, and it brought me back to the early, crazy days of building Instagram.”
Mechner’s journals are a unique record from the birth of an industry. The Making of Prince of Persia is also an unvarnished window into the creative process, with all its excitement, toil, setbacks, doubts, and triumphs. A fantastic read.”
Probably my favorite book on game development.”
When an industry is brand new, its innovators are generally so busy creating the future that they rarely have time to document the present. Luckily, Jordan Mechner did. For anyone aspiring to create a game or any endeavor that takes months and man-hours Jordan’s journal is sobering and inspiring.”
Mechner’s journals are a time machine that takes us back to an era when ambitious young creators were making strange new video games all by themselves and making up the rules as they went. It is a humbling and inspiring record of what it was like to make one of the best video games of all time. I love these journals.”
Praise for Get Together
Get Together tells the stories and reveals the insights of community building. Don’t start one without reading this book.”
As a leader of a social impact organization, I found Get Together to be helpful in thinking about how we could do better at building and cultivating the community around IDEO.org. I’d recommend Get Together to anyone organizing or participating in communities, personally or professionally.”
Get Together is a generous, practical and heartfelt guide to creating community in the digital age. With no jargon and no nonsense, Bailey, Kevin, and Kai lay out simple, practical steps for helping people come together in meaningful and powerful ways.”
Get Together is a book about our most valuable resource—people—and how to get them together. Sounds simple; but then all great ideas are.”
I highly recommend Get Together for anyone who’s looking to crack the code on building a community.”
Praise for An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management
An Elegant Puzzle is a masterful study of the challenges and demands of the discipline of engineering management viewed through the prism of systems thinking. Readers can expect an actionable template for addressing complex problems with finesse, creativity and fairness.”
Software engineering is evolving faster than ever before. In An Elegant Puzzle, Will Larson captures the timeless spirit of creative problem-solving that draws us to software engineering while also providing concrete strategies for modern organizations.”
Engineering Managers can often feel like they are struggling to keep their heads above the water. Our technical training is missing the frameworks and tools needed to build healthy and productive teams. The insights and step-by-step approach covered in An Elegant Puzzle will become your favorite go-to resource.”
Praise for The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium
All over the world, elite institutions from governments to media to academia are losing their authority and monopoly control of information to the broader public. This book has been my #1 handout for the last several years to anyone seeking to understand this unfolding shift in power from hierarchies to networks in the age of the Internet.”
Martin Gurri saw it coming. When, without fanfare, he self-published the first edition as an e-book in June of 2014, he did not specifically name Donald Trump or Brexit… But he saw how the internet in general and social media in particular were transforming the political landscape.”
We are in an open war between publics with passionate and untutored interests and elites who believe they have the right to guide those publics. Gurri asks the essential question: can liberal representative democracy survive the rise of the publics?”
Praise for Stubborn Attachments
Most of Tyler’s books will change how you see the world in myriad of small ways. Stubborn Attachments might well change the way you see the world in one very big way... Whether you agree or disagree (with Tyler’s argument), I think you’ll find that following the logic in Stubborn Attachments is as fun as it is intellectually provocative.”
Tyler Cowen is a national treasure, and Stubborn Attachments is brimming with deep insights–about the immense importance of economic growth, moral obligations, rights, and how to think about the future. It’s a book for right now, and a book for all times. A magnificent achievement.”
Stubborn Attachments is a deeply honest accounting of what matters, and the process by which we can determine what matters. Assumptions are laid bare from the outset, counter-claims are provided. The book invites you to fight it.”
Tyler Cowen is one of the most intriguing and eclectic thinkers on the planet–like many people, I read something by him every day. In Stubborn Attachments he combines economics and philosophy in a truly important achievement. His best, most ambitious and most personal work.”
The complexity of the modern world makes it difficult to know what’s worth caring about... [but] onto this landscape of paralyzing uncertainty strides Tyler Cowen with a bold solution. He argues there is one goal we should promote above all else: maximizing the sustainable rate of economic growth. The message of Stubborn Attachments is needed now more than ever.”
Praise for The Dream Machine
When people ask me about Xerox Parc, I always tell them about JCR Licklider—“Lick”—and how he… started the great research funding for interactive computing and pervasive worldwide networks that has resulted in most of the technology we use today… The top book I recommend to read about this large process that stretched over 20 years is “The Dream Machine” by Mitchell Waldrop.”
A sprawling history of the ideas, individuals, and groups of people that got us from punch cards to personal computers… comprehensive… impressive… [and] compelling”
The Dream Machine works admirably as an exploration of the intellectual and political roots of the rise of modern computing. It’s an ambitious and worthwhile addition to the history of science.”
A masterpiece! A mesmerizing but balanced and comprehensive look at the making of the information revolution- the people, the ideas, the tensions, and the hurdles. And on top of that, it is beautifully written.”
Waldrop’s account of [Licklider’s] and many others’ world-transforming contributions is compelling.”
Praise for High Growth Handbook
Elad Gil is one of Silicon Valley’s seriously knowledgeable and battle-tested players. If you want the chance to turn your startup into the next Google or Twitter, then read this trenchant guide from someone who played key roles in the growth of these companies.”
Elad eschews trite management aphorisms in favor of pragmatic and straight-shooting insights on complex topics like managing a board of directors, executing functional reorganizations with as little trauma as possible, and everything in between.”
Elad first invested in Airbnb when we were less than 10 people and provided early advice on scaling the company. This book shares these learnings for the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
Elad jam-packs every useful lesson about building and scaling companies into a single, digestible book. My only gripe is that he didn’t write this when we were in the early days of Box as it would have saved my ass countless times.”
Armed with observations gathered scaling some of the most successful and important companies of Silicon Valley, Elad has no-nonsense, highly applicable advice to any operator transitioning a company from the proverbial garage to the next stage and beyond.”
Why are we doing this?
Stripe partners with millions of the world’s most innovative businesses. These businesses are the result of many different inputs. Perhaps the most important ingredient is “ideas.”
Stripe Press highlights ideas that we think can be broadly useful. Some books contain entirely new material, some are collections of existing work reimagined, and others are republications of previous works that have remained relevant over time or have renewed relevance today.
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