Understanding Silicon Valley: The Anatomy of an Entrepreneurial Region (Stanford Business Books (Paperback))

Each time I need to expalin what technology clusters are about, I quote the authors of one of the chapters: "A Flexible Recycling" by S. Evans and H. Bahrami. They explain that the ingredients of entrepreneurial high-tech regions are.- Universities and research centers of a very high caliber.- An industry of venture capital (i.e. financial institutions and private investors).- Experienced professionals in high tech.- Service providers such as lawyers, head hunters, public relations and marketing specialists, auditors, etc.- Last but not least, an intangible yet critical component: a pioneering spirit which encourages an entrepreneurial culture.The book is full of great data points!

A critical book for professionals and the general public who are interested in the history and process of innovation on a large-scale and over a long time frame.

One of the elements of a successful technical history is how often you refer back to it. Since this a compilation of essays by a series of authors each writing a chapter the quality varies. However it's worth buying just for the essays about the Military History of the Valley by Stuart Leslie and the Origins of Production Networks by AnnaLee Saxenian.