The Idea Factory

Subtitle of the this book is "Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation". The book covers many decades and scientists. These include famous people such as Shannon and Shockley who worked there. Most of the story happens in New Jersey.

Bell Labs worked on serious phone company future plans. They wanted to communicate overseas. The proposal was laying cable under the sea. They needed to build in repeaters to keep up the signal. They also researched ways to use satellites.

There was research on how to transmit signal over what would become fiber optic. Some research was not necessarily specific to the phone industry. To replace vacuum tubes, they invented the transistor.

The book covered government attempts to break up the monopoly. This somehow included AT&T. Eventually some parts would be in a merger of Alcatel and Lucent.