From the transistor to the laser, from digital communications to cellular telephony, it's hard to find an aspect of modern life that hasn't been touched by Bell Labs. Gertner's book offers fascinating evidence for those seeking to understand how a society should best invest its research resources.” -The Wall Street Journal From its beginnings in the 1920s until its demise in the 1980s, Bell Labs-officially, the research and development wing of AT&T-was the biggest, and arguably the best, laboratory for new ideas in the world. The Idea Factory explores one of the most critical issues of our time: What causes innovation?” -Walter Isaacson, The New York Times Book Review “Compelling. The definitive history of America’s greatest incubator of innovation and the birthplace of some of the 20th century’s most influential technologies “Filled with colorful characters and inspiring lessons. He was able to hire some of the best and brightest people available, which led to some of the great work and innovations that came out of the lab.Download The Idea Factory Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This allowed the lab’s director, Mervin Kelly, to hire people, and to pay well. At first, phone subscription dropped dramatically, but then they started to pick up in the mid-1930s. The Depression ended up helping Bell Labs, Gertner said. “They used such little amounts of power that it kind of changes the whole configuration of what electronic devices could be,” he said.

The transistor really paved the way for the miniaturization of electronics, Gertner said. One big invention that came out of Bell’s golden age was the transistor, which replaced the vacuum tube. The Transistor: One Of The Big Inventions Interestingly, at the time, Bell didn’t have any competition, but Gertner believes it was “this sort of unbelievable place that just had this string of innovations that really changed the world.” Fostering creativity, according to Gertner, was something management was very good at. The title of the book is, “The Idea Factory.”īell Labs opened in 1925, set up as the research and development laboratory of the phone company. A new book examines the people and conditions that made Bell Labs a hot bed of innovation in the 20th century. Some of the 20th century’s most influential technologies, including transistors, radar, lasers and solar cells started there. Long before Silicon Valley, Bell Labs in New Jersey attracted the best and brightest thinkers.

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