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Chip War by Chris Miller: A Riveting Look at the Geopolitics of Computer Chips
Why the Future of Innovation and Global Power Depends on these Tiny Chips
With so much demand for computer chips, why don’t we see new entrants to satisfy demand?
Turns out, it’s really hard to make chips. The tools, chemicals, and software are produced by a handful of companies, capital expenditures are in the billions, and replicating decades of expertise doesn’t happen overnight. Even the Pentagon’s $700B budget isn’t big enough to afford new facilities in the US for defense purposes.
Chip War discusses the history, current situation, and geopolitics of one of the world’s most valuable resources.
Chip History and the Founding of Silicon Valley
The book starts with the history of Silicon Valley.
A group of engineers and entrepreneurs including William Shockley, Bob Noyce, and Gordon Moore would create revolutionary inventions such as the transistor and the integrated circuit and go on to found legendary companies such as Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel. Early sales of chips went to the military and space programs. Eventually, businesses bought as many chips as the military and a new industry (and Silicon…
