Here we are at the end of another year, so I will share again the two books I enjoyed the most.
Before starting, here are the links to similar posts covering the previous years:
This time, after thoughtful consideration, I finally included one Portuguese book. It may not be that interesting for an international audience, but based on the defined criteria (my enjoyment), it made it on its own merit.
“The Idea Factory”, by Jon Gertner
This is not a new book, but I only had the time to read it early this year. It’s a fascinating and detailed story about how a single institution was able to produce so many groundbreaking innovations for such a long period of time.
Bell Labs was i…
Here we are at the end of another year, so I will share again the two books I enjoyed the most.
Before starting, here are the links to similar posts covering the previous years:
This time, after thoughtful consideration, I finally included one Portuguese book. It may not be that interesting for an international audience, but based on the defined criteria (my enjoyment), it made it on its own merit.
“The Idea Factory”, by Jon Gertner
This is not a new book, but I only had the time to read it early this year. It’s a fascinating and detailed story about how a single institution was able to produce so many groundbreaking innovations for such a long period of time.
Bell Labs was indeed a remarkable place that was only possible due to the special circumstances of its time. Nevertheless, the number of incredibly smart people that ended up working there (so many well-known names) and their discoveries, innovations, and inventions is unbelievable.
The book covers the early years that led to the creation of the laboratory to its demise in the final decades of the 20th century. It doesn’t only tell you about what was invented there but also leads you through the backstory and the events behind the scenes that led to the final outcome.
It is an entertaining and well-written story.
“As Causas do Atraso Português”, by Nuno Palma
This book tries to provide an answer to a common question and discussion topic here in Portugal.
The fact that the country lost the train (of development) a long time ago is not up for debate anymore; the more interesting questions are, what circumstances contributed to it? What changed? When did it change? Who bears that responsibility? What should we look at to avoid a similar situation in the future?
Written by an economist and supported by historical economic data, the book provides a different perspective.
Throughout more than 300 pages, the author goes back 5 centuries to rebuke common explanations and culprits. It then provides and backs a different view on the events, the actors, and the circumstances that eventually made Portugal fall behind the developed world.
Perhaps he is a bit controversial; perhaps he is spot-on. I don’t know, but ultimately it is a very intriguing read that I recommend to my fellow Portuguese peers.