In his first book, technology journalist Fisher weaves first-person accounts of Silicon Valley's history as an incubator of computer culture and commerce. A bit of an unconventional oral history, this book contains separate interviews that are compiled alongside quotations from speeches or other print publications. While undoubtedly losing some of the give-and-take and triggered memories of a group interview, it does allow for a more cohesive chronological and thematic arrangement, since many of the key players were involved in Silicon Valley for decades with different companies. Starting with Stanford, Atari, Xerox PARC, and Apple, the hardware, software, and ancillary corporate culture and publications fostered in these San Francisco suburbs are remembered and analyzed by those on the front lines. Later chapters chronicle the rise of the web, the dot com financing boom and bust, and the corporate cultures of Google, Facebook, and Twitter. The "uncensored" of the subtitle mostly refers to the drama of large personalities interacting and a pervasive drug culture. VERDICT This behind-the-scenes account of modern start-up culture will interest technology geeks and business historians alike.-Wade M. Lee, Univ. of Toledo Lib.
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