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Chip War
544 pages
A sweeping, high-stakes geopolitical thriller disguised as a history of technology.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like being handed the secret blueprints to the modern world. It moves with the brisk, propulsive energy of a geopolitical thriller, sweeping you from the early days of Silicon Valley to the tense, high-stakes manufacturing hubs of modern Taiwan. The mood is both deeply illuminating and increasingly tense, as the sheer fragility of our global supply chains comes into sharp focus. The prose is crisp and accessible, effortlessly translating microscopic engineering feats and complex economic policies into a gripping narrative. It is a sobering but endlessly fascinating experience, perfect for readers who crave a deeper understanding of the invisible forces, technological dependencies, and quiet rivalries that dictate the balance of global power.
- Mood
- high-stakes
- illuminating
- tense
- expansive
- Tone
- authoritative
- urgent
- analytical
- engaging
- objective
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- geopolitical rivalry · technological dependence · fragility of global supply chains · invisible engines of power · human ingenuity
- The writing
- Crisp, narrative-driven, and remarkably accessible, translating complex engineering and economics into a gripping geopolitical thriller.
- The arc
- Begins with awe at the sheer scale of human ingenuity and shifts into a tense, sobering realization of our fragile global dependence.
- Who it's for
- Curious minds who want to understand the hidden technological scaffolding of the modern world and the high-stakes politics that control it.
Content notes
- geopolitical tension
- military conflict discussions
About the book
An epic account of the decades-long battle to control what has emerged as the world's most critical resource—microchip technology—with the United States and China increasingly in conflict.
You may be surprised to learn that microchips are the new oil—the scarce resource on which the modern world depends. Today, military, economic, and geopolitical power are built on a foundation of computer chips. Virtually everything— from missiles to microwaves, smartphones to the stock market — runs on chips. Until recently, America designed and built the fastest chips and maintained its lead as the #1 superpower. Now, America's edge is slipping, undermined by competitors in Taiwan, Korea, Europe, and, above all, China. Today, as Chip War reveals, China, which spends more money each year importing chips than it spends importing oil, is pouring billions into a chip-building initiative to catch up to the US. At stake is America's military superiority and economic prosperity.
Economic historian Chris Miller explains how the semiconductor came to play a critical role in modern life and how the U.S. become dominant in chip design and manufacturing and applied this technology to military systems. America's victory in the Cold War and its global military dominance stems from its ability to harness computing power more effectively than any other power. But here, too, China is catching up, with its chip-building ambitions and military modernization going hand in hand. America has let key components of the chip-building process slip out of its grasp, contributing not only to a worldwide chip shortage but also a new Cold War with a superpower adversary that is desperate to bridge the gap.
Illuminating, timely, and fascinating, Chip War shows that, to make sense of the current state of politics, economics, and technology, we must first understand the vital role played by chips.
Description from Open Library.
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