cover image Inside Intel: Andrew Grove and the Rise of the World's Most Powerful Chip Company

Inside Intel: Andrew Grove and the Rise of the World's Most Powerful Chip Company

Tim Jackson. Dutton Books, $24.95 (424pp) ISBN 978-0-525-94141-5

Founded in 1968, Intel now controls more than 80% of the market for microprocessors that run computers, and is second only to Microsoft in influence in the personal computer industry. The company's rise to market dominance is generally attributed to its current CEO, Andy Grove, who, along with electronics industry visionaries Gordon Moore and Bob Noyce, launched the company in what was to become Silicon Valley, a center that Intel played an important role in creating. In detailing Intel's climb to the most important computer chip manufacturer in the world, Jackson, a columnist for Financial Times, delivers a no-holds-barred look at the tactics the led Intel to its present position. According to the author, Grove created an incredibly hardworking environment by using such tools as the ""Late List,"" which required employees who reported to work after 8:00 to sign in. Although a seemingly minor rule, the Late List helped set the tone for the dedication Grove expected from his staff. Once Intel established itself in the computer industry, Grove turned efforts to grabbing market share through such wide-ranging efforts as aggressive marketing and, on the more sly side, suing rivals and potential rivals to prevent and/or delay their competition. Although Jackson writes for a general audience, those who understand computer technology will enjoy this well-researched study most. (Oct.)