Building IBM – Shaping an Industry & its Technology: Shaping an Industry and Its Technology (History of Computing)

Pugh's fawning over the perfections of IBM gets very frustrating (and ironic as well, considering he got the chop when the Big Blue lost its way), but the history is helpful. The story that is told is not one of scientific progress in information technology, but of the triumph of the business plan in turning scientific endeavour into creative business solutions. Actually, these seem pretty obvious to us now: like all corporations, IBM preferred monopoly to competition, reserved its rights over technology and client data, and sold its machines by boosting their credentials as destroyers of jobs. All of these turned out to be fairly malign in practice, sometimes requiring the evils of government intervention, but you wouldn't know it to read this book, which is slight on criticism, and so high on the glories of creative destruction that IBM promulgates that even firing the author doesn't get it a serve. Surely a company should do more than make money for its shareholders? Well, not this one.

This is a superbly written and balanced book about IBM from its earliest days through the early 1990s. It covers the development of the company from the early punched card days through the System 360 and AS400. It provides an interesting and through discussion of the culture and the ability of the Watsons to guide the company through what was really a highly competitive market. It is a great discussion of IBM's organizations and some of the key people instrumental in its development as a well managed and profitable company.What I found missing were the attempts to expand into other business ventures such as the early days of videotext, which morphed into the Internet. I also did not see any extensive discussion of the R&D areas. Also missing was a detailed discussion of the antitrust battles as well as the developments of the PC. Fundamentally it is a book about the IBM management and sales style.This is well worth the read to understand how companies developed in the early and mid 20th century. Yet it is unlikely we will ever see companies having a company song again.

Good book with lots of interesting anecdotes, got bogged down a bit on technical descriptions of complex components that gave some detail but not a simple enough description and graphic to make it understandable to the layman. Recommend simple illustrations be added to explain things like how the magnetic cores worked, etc.

Excellent book. Emerson has a wonderful writing style that includes a technology perspective that is easy to understand for the non-technical mind.CheersPete

Great paperback - purchased as a gift for a 35+ year IBM'er, who enjoyed reading it.

I have read a few of Mr. Pugh's other books. I like his style. Interesting narrative style with just the right amount of technology thrown in.