The first-ever comprehensive history of Silicon Valley, detailing the rise of the industrial hub from railroad capitalism to microchip assembly, is set to drop next Tuesday.
Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris tells a story of disruption and destruction in an area that has gained near-mythical status as the maker and destroyer of fortunes.
In the 720-page epic, the author examines how and why Northern California evolved in the consequential way it did, tracing the ideologies, technologies and policies that were born there, from IQ tests to the ‘tragedy of the commons’, racial genetics and the infamous ‘broken window’ theory.
It is an urgent history, not just of the region, but also how it continues to shape our lives to this day, ending with a radical proposition for how the world might begin to change course. The book will be released online and in hardcover on February 14.