Silicon Valley veterans and newbies alike will want to explore this book that delves into the rich history behind the region that birthed the world's most important industry. Technology journalist Ashlee Vance has captured almost every aspect of the area stretching between San Francisco and San Jose, California, starting with the eager radio and electronics enthusiasts of the early 1900s and ending with the computing powerhouses of today such as Google and Apple. Along the way, the book profiles the people and places that have elevated Silicon Valley to an almost mythic pedestal. This book delivers Silicon Valley, taking us from success story to failed startup and back again as we drive the roads from San Francisco to Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose. It's full of profiles of the larger-than-life characters that pioneered the processor, computer, and Internet revolutions. The book's vibrant design includes "Silicon Valley Soundbytes" packed with insider information and trivia, and "Click Here" sidebars, which suggest places to eat, drink, and shop.Place by place, readers get the inside scoop on all the addresses that count, which include Microsoft research centers; the headquarters of Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle; research powerhouses such as Stanford University, NASA Ames, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; the Computer History Museum and The Tech Museum; the Shoreline Amphitheater; the Churchill Club; and many more.

Table of Contents:
OutlineIntroduction: Shockley brings silicon to Silicon ValleyChapter 1: Palo Alto and Menlo Park· Federal Telegraph Company· Stanford University/Stanford Research Park/The Stanford Dish/Silicon Valley Archives· University Avenue and Stanford Shopping Center: collegiate eateries contrast with high-end mall· Hewlett-Packard: HP history and background with headquarters address· HP Garage: Thousands of people a year come by the house to try to see the garage, which a historic market designates as “Birthplace of Silicon Valley”· Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) – Menlo Park: Fun with high-energy physics. Provides tours daily and hosts thousands of visitors each year· Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center). Campus located on beautiful, hilly bit of land in Palo Alto.No tours, but it offers talks open to the public every Thursday.· Sand Hill Road/3000 Sand Hill Road: Where everyone goes to get venture capitol· SRI International, Menlo Park · Fairchild SemiconductorChapter 2: Mountain ViewShockley Semiconductor Computer History MuseumFenwick & West quintessential SV law firmMicrosoft’s Silicon Valley Campus: SGI: Silicon GraphicsThe Stevens Creek Trail: NASA Ames: SETI Instituteetscape HQGoogle/Googleplex Chapter 3: Santa Clara and SunnyvaleIntel/Intel Museum/Intel HeadquartersLockheed Martin SunnyvaleSun Microsystems/Sun’s Headquarters AMD Advanced Micro DeviceYahoo Sunnyvale Chapter 4: San JoseWorld’s First Broadcasting Station: KQWIBM’s Almaden Research Center/Magnetic Disk Heritage CenterSan Jose City HallSantana RoweBayWinchester Mystery House/Tours. Thousands go each yearSan Jose State UniversityPulgas Water TempleLick ObservatoryCisco Systems The Tech Museum of Innovationhildren’s Discovery Museum Chapter 5: San FranciscoGreen Street LabThe ExploratoriumThe Wave OrganThe Letterman Digital Arts CenterMoscone CenterThe MetreonCraigslist.orgGolden Gate Yacht ClubSilicon Justice: San Francisco’s courthousesElectronic Frontier FoundationMicrosoft Research CenterGenetechCalifornia Academy of SciencesBay Area Laboratory Co-operativeTechnology Publishers RowAT&T ParkMonster/Candlestick Park Chapter 6: Out and About in Silicon Valley: The Surrounding SceneWindy HillOracle, Redwood ShoresHiller Aviation Museum, San CarlosJoint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekAtari, SunnyvaleElectronic Arts, Redwood CityLawrence Livermore National Laboratory/Discovery CenterSandia National Laboratories, LivermoreExcite@HomeAlviso: Home of Tivo Drawbridge (ghost town)Apple Computer, Cupertino Drive the Valley: Best Routes for Seeing it AllSuggested ReadingSurf the ValleyIndex