Coming soon · Book Profile
Chip War - The Fight for the Worlds Most Critical Technology (2022)
The history of the semiconductor reveals how this tiny technology became the world's most critical resource, shaping the global balance of economic and military power and fueling the high-stakes rivalry between the United States and China.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Chip War unveils the hidden history of the modern world by chronicling the multi-decade battle for control over its most essential technology: the semiconductor. Historian Chris Miller traces the story from the Cold War labs that birthed the transistor, to the rise of Silicon Valley, the fierce trade battles with Japan, and today's precarious global supply chain centered on Taiwan. The book argues that military power, economic prosperity, and geopolitical dominance are all built on a foundation of silicon. By exploring the brilliant scientists, visionary entrepreneurs, and powerful politicians who shaped this industry, Chip War provides an essential guide to understanding the true nature of technological supremacy and the high-stakes conflict between the US and China, a rivalry that will be determined not by steel or oil, but by computing power.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- The reader is a strategist, policymaker, investor, or curious citizen who wants to understand the hidden forces shaping the global economy, international security, and the future of technology.
- The problem
- The reader lacks a clear understanding of the world's most critical technology—semiconductors—and the complex, vulnerable supply chains it depends on, making it difficult to navigate modern geopolitical and economic risks. The reader feels anxious and uncertain about the future, witnessing a new era of great power competition but not grasping the underlying technological battle that will determine the outcome.
- The plan
- Trace the origins of the chip industry from Cold War labs to the rise of Silicon Valley.
- Understand how nations like the US, Japan, and Taiwan battled for semiconductor dominance.
- Learn why Taiwan became the indispensable center of chip manufacturing and grasp the immense risks this creates.
- Analyze China's determined assault to build its own chip industry and America's strategy to maintain its lead.
- See the world through the lens of computing power to anticipate future geopolitical and economic shifts.
- The payoff
- The reader gains a clear framework for understanding the interplay between technology, economics, and national security. · They can confidently analyze news about US-China relations, Taiwan, and the tech industry. · They are equipped to make better strategic decisions in policy, business, or investing.
See our guide
Additional reading
- The Machine That Changed the World · James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos
This book is cited as the landmark study from the MIT International Motor Vehicle Program that first documented Toyota's system for a Western audience, coining the term 'Lean Production' and explaining its superiority over mass production.
- Lean Thinking · James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones
Presented as a follow-up to 'The Machine That Changed the World', this book is referenced for its work in codifying the principles of the Toyota Production System into five actionable steps for businesses in any industry.
- Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production · Taiichi Ohno
The book recommends this text as the foundational work written by one of the primary architects of the TPS. It provides a direct, first-hand narrative of the system's development and underlying philosophy.
- A Study of the Toyota Production System · Shigeo Shingo
A classic text from a key developer of lean techniques, providing an industrial engineering perspective on tools like SMED (quick changeover) and poka-yoke (mistake-proofing).
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience · Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The book cites this work to provide a psychological basis for why well-implemented lean work systems, which require concentration and provide immediate feedback, are inherently more satisfying for employees.
- Learning to See · Mike Rother and John Shook
Mentioned in the 2003 epilogue, this workbook is presented as the essential tool for applying the book's concept of value stream mapping in a practical, standardized way.
- The Future of the Automobile · Alan Altshuler, et al.
This is the authors' previous book, which identified the competitive crisis in the Western auto industry and laid the groundwork for the IMVP study.
- The Concept of the Corporation · Peter Drucker
A classic analysis of the mature mass-production corporation (General Motors), providing a benchmark for understanding the system that lean production would replace.
- My Years with General Motors · Alfred P. Sloan
The memoir of one of mass production's key architects, detailing the management and marketing philosophy of the system at its peak.
- The Toyota Production System · Taiichi Ohno
The primary source text from the main creator of the lean production system at Toyota, explaining its core principles from the source.