'Chip Wars' and other Reading
So far this year I've finished 'Chip Wars', 'Summer of Blood' and 'The History of the World in Six Glasses'
So it’s been a bit of a break, but here are some book reviews to try to catch up.
Of the three books that I’ve finished so far this year, ‘Chip Wars’ has easily been the most interesting. Chris Miller’s book manages to be both an excellent, easy read and deeply informative about the evolution and growth of the microchip industry. He explains not just the mechanics and science behind the industry (and the concept of Moore’s Law), but the changing business landscape and the way chips were among the leaders in driving globalization in the late 20th/early 21st century. The book also provides a really helpful framework for explaining the recent decisions by the Trump and Biden administration regarding semiconductor supply chains and China. It’s a really good mix of the history, the technology, and, in the latter sections, the policy that is showing up in the news. One interesting thru line is the way semiconductor growth in most countries has been decidedly driven by government activity. Even in the United States, the initial investments and opportunities that created the industry were largely government-driven, it was only after that they had the resources and scale to start bringing chips to commercial markets. That’s created (at least in the US) an industry that has a very hot/cold relationship with the government - seeking support/protection in rough times but also wanting to avoid limits to their commercial profitability in bad times. It’s a fantastic read and I’d definitely recommend it.
“Summer of Blood: England’s First Revolution” by Dan Jones
I’m a big fan of Dan Jones’ histories. I’ve read a variety of his other work - ‘The Plantaganets’, ‘The War of the Roses’, ‘Magna Carta’, etc. and they’re always consistently readable and deeply researched. I’m a bit of an anglophile when it comes to reading history and so working through his various pieces has been an enjoyable read. This was a deep dive into the revolution of 1381 and it was excellent. Jones spends a decent amount of time setting up the social and economic situation heading into 1381, which is really useful in understanding how the conditions were ripe for a major upheaval. Basically, following the plague, the shortage of workers created conditions where the existing elites (nobles and religious sorts) were forced to concede higher wages and more liberties to the rest of society. This, in turn, enriched and empowered the middling and lower classes. They were able to demand more in compensation from the wealthy. In response, the wealthy enacted a variety of laws to try to defy the fundamentals of supply and demand, leading to massive discontent. These are the macro features that led to the revolution of 1381. Jones also does a good job of trying to get into the heads of the people who organized and led the revolt. It’s one thing to have a population that is discontented, another to organize them and direct that discontent towards a common goal. Jones does a good job explaining how the revolt spread so quickly and was able to ultimately lead it to take London and shake the crown to its very core.
“The History of the World in Six Glasses” by Tom Standage
This was a completely fine read - nothing earth-shaking, but enjoyable. Starting with beer and working its way up to Coca-Cola, this history does a wonderful job of tracing the impact and rituals of various drinks on human development. The pieces tracing the history of a toast or meeting for drinks as a means of bonding back to the earliest periods of human history was the most interesting bit. Overall, it’s a fun look at human history that covers a lot of ground from a different perspective. It’s a bit euro-centric, but still an enjoyable read.