Week 1

Week 2      

Session 2 (14th Sept) & Session 3 (21st Sept)
- The History of Silicon Valley

In weeks 2 and 3 the sessions will be devoted to understanding the history and importance of Silicon Valley. In the first session we will be watching the TV documentary The Triumph of the Nerds (available to view in the library after this session). This will set the context for Session 3 in which we will discuss the development of the internet, how it was shaped by Californian culture, and how the contemporary computer industry is embedded in the local area. (In semester two we will look at how the new media industry sector has grown and had an impact in the UK).

Key Readings

Cringely, R (1996) Accidental Empires. How the boys of Silicon Valley make their millions, battle foreign competition, and still can't get a date . London : Penguin.

Kidder, T (2000) The Soul of a New Machine, Back Bay books

Levy, S (2002) Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, London : Penguin

Saxenian, A (1996) Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128, Harvard: Harvard University Press

Links

Cringely's book Accidental Empires was made into a Channel 4 Series 'The Triumph of the Nerds' which was also shown by PBS in America. The companion website is available here and the i cringely website (a weekly column) is available here

The Steve Wozniak website is available here and there are some websites which have some useful links on the history of Silicon Valley here and here

Video

Week 3      

Week 4