Conquering the Electron

The Geniuses, Visionaries, Egomaniacs, and Scoundrels Who Built Our Electronic Age

By: Derek Cheung, Eric Brach

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

Conquering the Electron offers listeners a true and engaging history of the world of electronics, beginning with the discoveries of static electricity and magnetism and ending with the creation of the smartphone and the iPad.

This book shows the interconnection of each advance to the next on the long journey to our modern-day technologies. Exploring the combination of genius, infighting, and luck that powered the creation of today's electronic age, Conquering the Electron debunks the hero worship so often plaguing the stories of great advances.

Want to know how AT&T's Bell Labs developed semiconductor technology - and how its leading scientists almost came to blows in the process? Want to understand how radio and television work - and why RCA drove their inventors to financial ruin and early graves? Conquering the Electron offers these stories and more, presenting each revolutionary technological advance right alongside blow-by-blow personal battles that all too often took place.

©2011 Derek Cheung and Eric Brach (P)2020 Tantor

Maybe the best insight I have gained from reading

As an electrical engineer in radar signal processing and image science. I can not think of a better entry level insight prior to college as to gain insight to high tech evolution. I should be embarrassed to not know all of this. Makes me feel like a modern baseball player that doesn’t know the history, Ty Cobb, hank Aaron, willie mays, Jackie Robinson, mickie and the duke.

absolutely amazing! one the best books ever!

absolutely amazing book and perfectly narrated! a subject that everyone should get closer to once so much of it affects our day to day life! wonderful!

Many interesting plots I didn't know about!

I didn't like the voice too much, but that is personal. I listened to the complete book and greatly enjoyed it, especially the first half.

Electrons and society.

This title reminds the engineers in the audience that everything starts with first principles. Physics and Chemistry before a business need develops. As a practicing engineer I found this lively and entertaining and sufficient in depth for a technical audience and unburdened from mathematics that anyone can enjoy.

Great journey!

A wonderful story of the people, discoveries, technologies, and businesses involved in the harnessing of the electron.

The book was published in 2010. Normally that is too old for a technology book. But this is a history book and fascinating.