Man Behind the Microchip

Hailed as the Thomas Edison <em>and</em> Henry Ford of Silicon Valley Robert Noyce was a brilliant inventor a leading entrepreneur and a daring risk taker who piloted his own jets and skied mountains accessible only by helicopter. Now in <em>The Man Behind the Microchip</em> Leslie Berlin captures not only this colorful individual but also the vibrant interplay of technology business money politics and culture that defines Silicon Valley.<br> Here is the life of a high-tech industry giant. The co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel Noyce co-invented the integrated circuit the electronic heart of every modern computer automobile cellular telephone advanced weapon and video game. With access to never-before-seen documents Berlin paints a fascinating portrait of Noyce: an ambitious and intensely competitive multimillionaire who exuded a just folks sort of charm a Midwestern preacher's son who rejected organized religion but would counsel his employees to go off and do something wonderful a man who never looked back and sometimes paid a price for it. In addition this vivid narrative sheds light on Noyce's friends and associates including some of the best-known managers venture capitalists and creative minds in Silicon Valley. Berlin draws upon interviews with dozens of key players in modern American business--including Andy Grove Steve Jobs Gordon Moore and Warren Buffett; their recollections of Noyce give readers a privileged first-hand look inside the dynamic world of high-tech entrepreneurship.<br> A modern American success story <em>The Man Behind the Microchip</em> illuminates the triumphs and setbacks of one of the most important inventors and entrepreneurs of our time.