The Innovators

How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

By: Walter Isaacson, Walter Isaacson - introduction

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

2015 Audie Award Finalist for Nonfiction

Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson’s New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed The Innovators is a “riveting, propulsive, and at times deeply moving” (The Atlantic) story of the people who created the computer and the internet.

What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail?

The Innovators is a masterly saga of collaborative genius destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution—and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. Isaacson begins the adventure with Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron’s daughter, who pioneered computer programming in the 1840s. He explores the fascinating personalities that created our current digital revolution, such as Vannevar Bush, Alan Turing, John von Neumann, J.C.R. Licklider, Doug Engelbart, Robert Noyce, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, Tim Berners-Lee, and Larry Page.

This is the story of how their minds worked and what made them so inventive. It’s also a narrative of how their ability to collaborate and master the art of teamwork made them even more creative. For an era that seeks to foster innovation, creativity, and teamwork, The Innovators is “a sweeping and surprisingly tenderhearted history of the digital age” (The New York Times).

An epic narrative of ICT

What did you like best about this story?

As ICST (Information & Communication Science & Technology) professionals, we sometimes might have an inferiority complex towards the longer-established disciplines such as physics and mathematics. Part of the difference lies in the narratives that have been built around the "great men" of these sciences, from Pascal, Descartes, Newton, Leibniz to Einstein and Stephen Hawking. This book makes up for the difference by contributing to build this narrative around a few of the great men (and women) of Information & Communication Science and Technology. Not all of them arelarger than life figures, or true geniuses, but they probably contributed to the progress of humanity more closely and directly than their forebears in the physical and mathematical sciences. They deserve to be honored and this honor should extend to all scientists and engineers who dedicate their life to this domain.

Great Writer - Great Book

"The Innovators" starts in the early 1800s and proceeds to this century with minute detail about the people who have shaped the world through computing technology.

Other reviewers have detailed the content. Even if you think you know the history of the computer age you probably don't. I thought I knew about the people who have shaped the digital revolution, but I did not know half of the detail contained in this book. It is detail that can bring history to life or bog it down.

Some authors can bore you with details. Others just have the knack for telling a story in detail and making the story enjoyable. I particularly found it interesting how the attitude, motives and methods of the mother of Ada of Lovelace in providing for the education of her daughter laid a foundation for the computer revolution to come more than 100 years later.

I listened to this book while taking a daily four mile walk. This book is so good that I wanted to keep on walking each day.

Jim Fuqua

Fascinating Review of Technology

This is the book Isaacson was writing that was interrupted by his very fine biography on Steve Jobs. Although a bit long and tedious at some points, the book provides a really interesting history of the development of computers and digital technology. It's amazing how far ahead of their time some of these people were. A description of a computer demonstration from1968 is amazing--at least 30 years ahead of its time. The stories are interesting, but the author's main point is that most technology does not develop as a result of a solitary inventor in a garage, but as a result of collaborative efforts that build on the work of others. His discussion of the tension between closed and open systems--which is weaved throughout the book--is very interesting. As so today we have Apple and Google. A good read. Could have been a bit shorter.

Tour de force work...

As with his previous biographies, Walter Issacson weaves a compelling story. Wonder if an updated version is due capturing the latest advancements in AI and Human-machine symbiosis.

I had to read this book for a paper for a class, and I'm glad I did.

The Innovators was one of the best historical books I've ever read. Me being fascinated with computers and technology, this book was perfect for me. I highly recommend it!

MUST READ FOR ALL

This is the kind of fascinating information that touches anyone who can breathe. It is for everyone to share and take with them throughout their journey of life.

Very nice book on computers

Pretty good book on computer 's history, definetly a must read! From the beginning in the 19e century until now through transistor, internet, apple and microsoft

Fascinating overview of technology innovation

For this geek at least, Isaacson's book provided a very interesting background of the technological innovations that we take for granted today.

awesome!

this is a really nice and inspiring book. Enjoyed listening to it from the start, even though it took some time to get used to the style

Seemed pretty comprehensive, more so than expected

The beginning (at least first 1/3) was hard to get through; I did not expect a lot of detailed historical accounts of the primitive pioneers of computing (e.g. Lady Lovelace and her love life, among the love stories of so many others in her neighboring decades). I wanted to hear more about contemporary leaders (Gates, Jobs, etc.) and their histories along with their competitors and partners. The second half was a lot more enjoyable. I must admit, I learned a lot more than I expected (detailed account of the history behind the technical term "bug"), and I appreciate now having the historical insight as a tech geek, but I could have done without the love stories and drama in the first half, way to drag down technology to a bore.