The Innovators

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

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

2015 Audie Award Finalist for Non-Fiction

Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovators is Walter Isaacson’s revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens.

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?

In his masterly saga, Isaacson begins 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 shows how they happen.

©2014 Walter Isaacson (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

Insightful and High Level

Came to this book because I LOVED the Steve Jobs Biography. Walter Isaacson makes these bios feel like stories and love how he makes i retesting and even exciting as if it is happening real time. I learned a lot from this book about what I was expecting (how Internet came to be, evolution of computers) and also not expecting but pleasantly surprised (how Wikipedia came to be, controversy on “who invented what”). Overall, I’m happy I chose this book I just found it hard to stay caught up because the stories kept changing to different subjects and think rereading it in text form will help connect some dots. Another great one from Walter I can’t wait to read/listen to the rest of his works.

Most thorough history of computers ever

I'm a IT professional that loves computer history, and this book covers it all. Walter Issacson is one of the best.

Marvelous

Nice to listen to. Great content. Would recommend to all interested in the history of computing.

inspiring and full of interesting stories

if you consider yourself a technologist, this is a must read! Very insightful and contains good lessons for current and future leaders in technology.

Great review of the history of technology

This book is a really good dive into the history of technology. It covered a broad set of history including a number of different technologies in different parts of the world. I found it to be very educational and informative and interesting.

So much detail and background. Loved it!!!!

Awesome listen, the amount of background and personal back stories made this one of my favorite so far. Highly recommend it!

Very interesting book!

The author does a great job to explaining the process of the digital age and major components that were available during the evolution of it.

good but slow narration

I had to listen to this at x1.5. the narrator reads really slowly. good book though. still not a fan of Steve Jobs

Great history book about computing.

Wel written and read book. As an IT-guy the story appeals to me. The author really managed to write a good book that covers the history of computing. It's not for everyone though. It might be to long for some. Since the book end about people being social animals and how computers and Internet help people be social, I did miss a chapter about Facebook. The books starts with Ada Lovelace and ends with Google. It should have ended with Facebook. Nevertheless, this book should be a must read to every Computer Science student and person working in the computer industry...

nearly comprehensive history impressive? PALM?

From closed working groups to open, worldwide collaboration, the new age of finding knowledge. Great work.