SKU: 5313360529

The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

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The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American InnovationFrom 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. 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. In The Idea Factory, Jon Gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth

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. 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. In The Idea Factory, Jon Gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth century's most important inventions and delivers a riveting and heretofore untold chapter of American history. At its heart this is a story about the life and work of a small group of brilliant and eccentric men-Mervin Kelly, Bill Shockley, Claude Shannon, John Pierce, and Bill Baker-who spent their careers at Bell Labs. Today, when the drive to invent has become a mantra, Bell Labs offers us a way to enrich our understanding of the challenges and solutions to technological innovation. Here, after all, was where the foundational ideas on the management of innovation were born.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 02/26/2013
ISBN: 9780143122791
Pages: 422
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 8.39h x 5.49w x 0.94d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 04/07/2013 pg. 28
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SKU: 5313360529

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Jordyn Blalock
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 2
Ordered new, got it used
Format: Paperback
Paid for a new book. It arrived very clearly used. It is in decent condition but it is frustrating paying that much for something to arrive used with damage.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2026
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Cara
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Great Read
Format: Hardcover
Have always loved John Mark Comer's voice and tone as an author. He breaks down heavy and emotional concepts in an easy to read and understand way backed by scripture.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2026
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Stephanie Martinez
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Great book to read if you want to get married.
Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover
As someone who doesn't read a lot, I loved this book. The author did a great job keeping me engaged, and I appreciate his transparency. These topics aren't always talked about in Christian settings unless they're within the context of marriage. This book is perfect for someone who is single, dating, or in a relationship, and wants to get married.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026
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Vickie Allen
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Great book!
Format: Hardcover
Great book and makes a great gift to older teens and young adults. John Mark Comer is one of my favorite Christian authors!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2026
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Langston
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
The Amazing, Original View of Sex, Marriage and Romance.
Format: Hardcover
Two words: So. Good. I hadn't read anything by John Mark Comer before, but now I'm definitely looking at reading his other books. The depth, honesty, intensity and openness of Loveology really makes it a great tool for getting God's perspective on some of the most important topics in life. So good. As a young man (not even in my twenties yet), this was a great, consuming, eye-opening book that I'm so grateful God allowed me to read. I saw a video for it on Jefferson Bethke's YouTube channel and knew from that moment that I needed to read it. Although it took a few months, I finally ordered the book and got in the mail a few days later. The information and perspective this book both gave me and enforced are priceless. If you're a young man (or "teenager), and a Christian one a that, you NEED to read this book. If you're a young woman (or "teenager"), and a Christian one at that, you also NEED to read this book. As the younger generation, this is stuff we need to get. We have our entire lives ahead of us, and the more things we do God's way the first time around, the more He can do through us and for us as we continue down our path for life. Sexuality, marriage, romance, and God's place in all of this has been so freaking warped and twisted in our spiraling American culture. We need God's truth on this topic like *crazy.* Everyone does, but especially Christian youth. God has amazing things for us to do, but we can't do those things if we have bad relationships, wrong views of sex or warped ideas of marriage standing in the way. And while this book is definitely not the only way for us to get this truth, it is an extremely good start.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2014

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