The Intel Trinity
Book

The Intel Trinity

How Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove Built the World’s Most Important Company

Michael S. Malone
HarperBusiness, 2014
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

This detailed insider’s look at the history of Silicon Valley introduces Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore and Andy Grove, three genius personalities who created Intel from scratch. The company designed and built advanced esoteric electronic devices that altered daily life. This unlikely management trio, though often embroiled in bitter internecine battles, spearheaded a workforce of driven people to revolutionize the high-tech industry and put the “silicon” in Silicon Valley. Intel’s work environment spawned new corporate cultures that are now mainstream. Michael Malone’s historical overview will intrigue any computer or smartphone owner who’d like to understand Intel and how it changed society. getAbstract recommends this fascinating saga to history buffs, executives, managers, entrepreneurs and human resources professionals seeking examples of strategic leadership.

Summary

From Shockley to Fairchild

Silicon Valley, once just the San Francisco marshlands, is the world’s center for advanced technology. Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Intel and many other such companies now operate from Silicon Valley. Before these giants existed, inventors and smaller companies built the foundations of today’s megabusinesses. Intel is at the center of Silicon Valley in innovation, tenacity, design prowess, inventions and leadership.

The company's story began in 1957, when seven employees left Shockley Transistor in Mountain View, CA. Founder William Shockley – co-inventor of the transistor – was a highly regarded scientist, but also a paranoid, abusive boss who made his employees take lie detector tests. The young scientists (the oldest was 29) who resigned in unison were the best minds in solid-state physics.

The team chose activist Bob Noyce, a natural leader, as its manager, and formed a new company to design transistors based on silicon, one of Earth’s most plentiful elements. Noyce presented the idea to Sherman Fairchild, owner of Fairchild Camera & Instrument Company, explaining that the scientists could make small, cheap...

About the Author

Michael S. Malone wrote The Future Arrived Yesterday, and is a regular editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal.

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    P. P. 1 decade ago
    Overall good summary. In 21th Century till date there has been a many revolutions in Intel. After Pantium microprocessor there has been many processor came which are very powerful and efficient.