At this point, the book is almost a decade old. I ready about 1/3rd of the book before deciding I wouldn't finish it. Although it was interesting to ready all the stories about different areas of Silicon Valley, it was very hard to make any connection to them without having visited the area.

A good survey of Silicon Valley history that specifically looks at the tech history of the area. I really like that the book points out specific addresses, marker locations, telephone numbers, and web links. Granted, the book was published in 2007 and is already a bit out-of-date, but of course the history is pretty spot on. A good enjoyable read. The printing itself is not fantastic, and the organization is a bit off. I agree with other reviewers who recommend pictures, but I know the purchasin...

I though the book was very good in the sense that it explained the history of Silicon Valley well and briefly. However, there were parts of the book I did not like, such as the off-topic text blocks in the middle of a chapter or section. It would seem more appropriate to add that at the end of a chapter. Also, I understand the title of the book infers that it is a Silicon Valley guide, but I did not expect there to be actual tour guides, which is ok but I was more interested in the history of Si...

This really is an excellent book by Vance. Better than his semi-forced lube job for Musk. He provides some rare tidbits about the valley not easily found elsewhere. Having a solid geographical structure helps the book organization a lot. Although quite a bit dated now, it’s still a pleasure to read.

Great book ever I seen in my career.

A fun approach to the history of technology by organizing information geographically instead of chronologically. This form of organization allowed the author to visit and revisit key players in Silicon Valley's history, which helped the reader review important people and corporations, and gave a feel for how interactions, combinations and recombinations of technical talent made history.The mesh of history and tourist tips was a little odd, but gave a friendly tone to the book. Some tourist tips

"During these experimental times the house, too, became part of the manufacturing process. Hewlett and Packard would often spray-paint some of their products and then cart them into the home's oven to make the markings permanent. Health inspectors have since marveled at the idea of cooking what was probably lead-baed paint inside the house. Lucille Packard is said to have remarked, 'The roasts never quite tasted the same after that.'" (25)

Sembra una semplice guida turistica alla Silicon Valley. In realtà è un modo originale e divertente di conoscere la storia di tante aziende che hanno cambiato la storia. Tante curiosità sui CEO e sulle sfide, sulle location e sulla vita che effettivamente si vive negli uffici di start-up e multinazionali. Ottima sia per chi visiterà davvero la Silicon Valley sia per chi si accontenta di un tour "virtuale" nel tempo e nello spazio.

I enjoyed the voice and conversational style of this book. It contains a lot of interesting information about the history of the Silicon Valley and a bunch of cool tidbits about people and places that were new to me. It's organized according to city first so it doesn't necessarily read as a linear narrative, so there was a little overlap but nothing too troublesome. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick and dirty history of the Silicon Valley as its various hamlets.

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).

Fluid and informative. Wish it had some pictures though, of the buildings or maybe of logos so I might recognize companies I don't know by name. Also it has a couple really basic spelling mistakes (reeking a bit of havoc on page 216 and you're next stop will be on page 232 of the 2007 edition).