Title: The Silicon Lathe
Author: Steve Jackowski
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-0-9899729-1-8
Pages: 388, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Krista Schnee, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Brilliant and ambitious, Jack had experienced much over the past few decades. As an early entrepreneur and technology specialist, he had seen the growth of Silicon Valley and the wealth brought about by the computer industry. With a lot of vision and plenty of hard work, he and others like him succeeded in bringing about a revolution in the way people worked and played. Whether it was a practical invention like the PBX that provided businesses with a simpler way of managing their telephone systems or the early modems that would spur the growth of communications, these hardworking men and women created a fundamental shift in our own culture, one toward a global interconnection through technology. This was more than a career for them—it was a life’s work.While they were intent on changing the world, they, in so doing, benefited greatly in their own lives. As forward-thinking engineers and businessmen pursued the latest in technological advances, they reveled in their influence and prestige. Along with this money and power, the technology industry there in California brought plenty of opportunities for leisure time and expensive pursuits, including the solitary sports, foreign movies, and fine dining enjoyed by Jack. Indeed, the early technological innovators, fueled by optimism and the stimulation of the culture of California, enjoyed a lifestyle undreamed of by many in the United States.
Despite these obviously positive aspects of Silicon Valley, there was also a darker side to it as well. The lure of wealth and advancement also brought about the worst in those who worked within the industry. For people like Carson, Jack’s friend and one-time mentor, the drive to succeed led to a cocaine addiction, a flaw with which he would struggle until his violent death. Like these personal downfalls, corporations and their leaders rose and fell depending on the economy; too, even the best of technological advances were suppressed by larger corporations afraid of such innovation. The power and money that so many enjoyed revealed greed and spurious intentions, along with the willingness to save true ethics for those with very little to lose. Some quickly left California and technology altogether while others stayed, being formed by the lathe that is Silicon Valley.
In The Silicon Lathe, Steve Jackowski presents a view of the rise of Silicon Valley and its evolution over the past few decades. A novel, the book portrays technologies that would form the basis of our current culture within the fictional portrayal of the lives of innovators like Jack and Carson. This heavily technical side to the book will perhaps limit the range of readers interested in its insights into this industry; however, Jackowski certainly presents even the most difficult concepts with a clarity that even the most common layman could understand. He is never patronizing in his writing, but rather displays his own passion for the subject, whether corporate funding or the significance of ARPANET to the modern internet. Indeed, despite the portrayal of greed and betrayal within the book, the story is ultimately one of hope, one that reveals the author’s belief in the ability of technology to change the world for the better.
Jackowski’s writing is skillful and avoids many of the common pitfalls of a novel that is somewhat autobiographical. Also, reading the book is an enjoyable experience as the descriptions of surfing and hang gliding allow even a land-locked person an entry into such an undertaking. However, perhaps the one thing that detracts from the flow of the book is the length of these descriptions; while displaying the wonders of California living, they sometimes became meditations of their own, leaving the reader desiring to skip ahead a page or two in the book. Still, the writing is excellent and leaves the reader informed as well as entertained. Those readers interested in technology will most certainly find a kindred spirit in Jackowski and his novel, The Silicon Lathe.
