Three Degrees Above Zero: Bell Labs in the Information Age

in the spirit of "dealers of lightning", 3 degrees above zero tours a large corporate research laboratory with skill and clarity. by focusing on achievements and people, it navigates the large labs and really highlights interesting topics. i'm a geek, but no engineer. however, i really found the writing to be clean and move along at a good pace. by talking to people who what got them into research, how they got to their topics, and why they do what they do, it's a fascinating look at a bright collection of minds and people. written at the time that the labs were about to be spun off, everyone ends a chapter with comments on what they think will happen next. definitely interesting given the historical perspective you can now apply.hunt this one down, i think you'll be pleased.

The book paints an impressionistic picture of AT & T Bell Labs (pre-breakup), as viewed through the stories of several key players in its illustrious history. Written more as a family portrait than a strict history per se, the author successfully captures the flavour and the culture of this remarkable American R & D institution. Having been written in the shadow of the AT & T breakup, there is an undercurrent of concern over changing a proven winner throughout the book. Managers of any R & D organization would do well to read this and see how closely they can emulate this example.