The Big Score

The only contemporary history of the birth of Silicon Valley, from the reporter who had a ringside seat to it all.

Over the past five decades, the tech industry has grown into one of the most important sectors of the global economy. Silicon Valleyreplete with sprawling office parks, sky-high rents, and countless self-made millionairesis home to many of its key players. But the origins of Silicon Valley and the tech sector are much humbler. At a time when tech companies' influence continues to grow, The Big Score chronicles how they began.

One of the first reporters on the tech industry beat at the San Jose Mercury-News, Michael S. Malone recounts the feverish efforts of young technologists and entrepreneurs to build something that would change the worldand score them a big payday. Starting with the birth of Hewlett-Packard in the 1930s, Malone illustrates how decades of technological innovation laid the foundation for the meteoric rise of the Valley in the 1970s. Drawing on exclusive, unvarnished interviews, Malone punctuates this history with incisive profiles of tech's early luminariesincluding Nobelist William Shockley and Apple's Steve Jobswhen they were struggling entrepreneurs working 18-hour days in their garages. And he plunges us into the darker side of the Valley, where espionage, drugs, hellish working conditions, and shocking betrayals shaped the paths for winners and losers in a booming industry.

A decades-long story with individual sacrifice, ingenuity, and big money at its core, The Big Score recounts the history of today's most dynamic sector through its upstart beginnings.

“"AsSilicon Valley began its long march to global dominance, one writer wasthere to record it all--from the tiniest etchings on silicon wafers tothe galaxy sized egos that built Apple, Intel, Google and others--andthat writer, Mike Malone, turned it into a saga for the ages. He''s beencalled Silicon Valley''s Boswell, but I think Cecille B. DeMille capturesMalone''s epic storytelling power." R ich Karlgaard, former Forbes publisher "The Big Scoreis the definitive chronicle of Silicon Valley''s origins, vividlybrought to life by native son Mike Malone. The relentless cycles ofinvention and reinvention that have defined Silicon Valley for over acentury suggest that little is permanent, yet the lessons of its genesisare timeless. In laying bare this dramatic history, Mike helps usunderstand why Silicon Valley ultimately transcended its geography andinspired the best and brightest to defy the limits of human ingenuity,wherever they are." Kim Polese, chairman, CrowdSmart "Mike Malone is the gold standard for telling Silicon Valley''s history.He has witnessed the evolution of the Valley from fruit groves tooffice parks and has cataloged the world''s dependency on the Valley''sinnovative technology. Experience the growth of Silicon Valley throughthe eyes of a pioneer, friend, reporter, and mentor to so many of usearly Valley entrepreneurs." Sandy Kurtzig, founder, CEO, and chairman of the ASK Group "MikeMalone''s epic depiction of Silicon Valley was a calling card for me andcountless other young entrepreneurs with a background in tech. Malone''sstories captured the essence of Valley culture and the many outsizedpersonalities who helped create this mecca of tech. Years later, thisbook is still relevant and offers insights into the Valley and itsongoing place in the world." Jeff Skoll, first president of eBay "Since 1985, when The Big Scorewas originally published, the dominant and seemingly enduring companiesit documented have mostly fallen by the wayside, and the overalltechnological landscape is wildly different. And so, while The Big Scorecontinues to exist as an encyclopedic and highly entertaining record ofSilicon Valley''s origins, it also provides a glimpse of what''s to come.Nothing ever changes in Silicon Valley, it implicitly testifies, andnothing ever stays the same." Reid Hoffman, partner at Greylock and co-author of Blitzscaling "From its discussion of the Valley''s deep roots in the semiconductorindustry, to the rise of start-ups, venture capital, and the emergenceof new models of management, The Big Scoredocuments the beginnings of a technological transformation. When thebook was first published, the microprocessor was kickstaring thecomputer industry. Today, our greatest innovators continue to build onthe work of these early pioneers." John Hennessy, president emeritus of Stanford University and chairman, Alphabet Inc. "This is a captivating contemporary history of the pre-internetcomputer industry. Now, 36 years later, it is a fascinating time capsulechronicling the roots of an explosion that is about to occur. Malone''srefreshingly honest new foreword, describing retrospectively what he didand didn''t get right, is by itself worth the price of admission." Len Shustek, founding chairman, Computer History Museum "The Big Scorecovers the people and companies that shaped many aspects of earlySilicon Valley--people from humble beginnings who took huge risks toaccomplish great things while dealing with their own fallibility. Thisbook captures the can-do maker-spirit of the early tech industry andgives us a unique view into a key moment in time." Elad Gil, author of High Growth Handbook "The story of Silicon Valley and the digital transformation underway inevery facet of our lives can be told from a thousand different vantagepoints. Read this book to learn that the essential element in the storymay not, in fact, be silicon, but rather the people who made it." Dan''l Lewin, president and CEO, Computer History Museum "What''s remarkable about The Big Score?It''s truly the first, and by far the best, panoramic history of theValley''s founding. But more than that, it shows the emergence of MikeMalone as the conscience of Silicon Valley, something the Valley needsnow more than ever." Ed Clendaniel, editorial page editor, San Jose Mercury-News”

"AsSilicon Valley began its long march to global dominance, one writer wasthere to record it all--from the tiniest etchings on silicon wafers tothe galaxy sized egos that built Apple, Intel, Google and others--andthat writer, Mike Malone, turned it into a saga for the ages. He’s beencalled Silicon Valley’s Boswell, but I think Cecille B. DeMille capturesMalone’s epic storytelling power."
―Rich Karlgaard, former Forbes publisher

"The Big Scoreis the definitive chronicle of Silicon Valley’s origins, vividlybrought to life by native son Mike Malone. The relentless cycles ofinvention and reinvention that have defined Silicon Valley for over acentury suggest that little is permanent, yet the lessons of its genesisare timeless. In laying bare this dramatic history, Mike helps usunderstand why Silicon Valley ultimately transcended its geography andinspired the best and brightest to defy the limits of human ingenuity,wherever they are."
―Kim Polese, chairman, CrowdSmart

"Mike Malone is the gold standard for telling Silicon Valley’s history.He has witnessed the evolution of the Valley from fruit groves tooffice parks and has cataloged the world’s dependency on the Valley’sinnovative technology. Experience the growth of Silicon Valley throughthe eyes of a pioneer, friend, reporter, and mentor to so many of usearly Valley entrepreneurs."
―Sandy Kurtzig, founder, CEO, and chairman of the ASK Group

"MikeMalone’s epic depiction of Silicon Valley was a calling card for me andcountless other young entrepreneurs with a background in tech. Malone’sstories captured the essence of Valley culture and the many outsizedpersonalities who helped create this mecca of tech. Years later, thisbook is still relevant and offers insights into the Valley and itsongoing place in the world."
―Jeff Skoll, first president of eBay

“Since 1985, when The Big Scorewas originally published, the dominant and seemingly enduring companiesit documented have mostly fallen by the wayside, and the overalltechnological landscape is wildly different. And so, while The Big Scorecontinues to exist as an encyclopedic and highly entertaining record ofSilicon Valley’s origins, it also provides a glimpse of what’s to come.Nothing ever changes in Silicon Valley, it implicitly testifies, andnothing ever stays the same.”
―Reid Hoffman, partner at Greylock and co-author of Blitzscaling

"From its discussion of the Valley's deep roots in the semiconductorindustry, to the rise of start-ups, venture capital, and the emergenceof new models of management, The Big Scoredocuments the beginnings of a technological transformation. When thebook was first published, the microprocessor was kickstaring thecomputer industry. Today, our greatest innovators continue to build onthe work of these early pioneers."
―John Hennessy, president emeritus of Stanford University and chairman, Alphabet Inc.

"This is a captivating contemporary history of the pre-internetcomputer industry. Now, 36 years later, it is a fascinating time capsulechronicling the roots of an explosion that is about to occur. Malone'srefreshingly honest new foreword, describing retrospectively what he didand didn't get right, is by itself worth the price of admission."
―Len Shustek, founding chairman, Computer History Museum

"The Big Scorecovers the people and companies that shaped many aspects of earlySilicon Valley--people from humble beginnings who took huge risks toaccomplish great things while dealing with their own fallibility. Thisbook captures the can-do maker-spirit of the early tech industry andgives us a unique view into a key moment in time."
―Elad Gil, author of High Growth Handbook

"The story of Silicon Valley and the digital transformation underway inevery facet of our lives can be told from a thousand different vantagepoints. Read this book to learn that the essential element in the storymay not, in fact, be silicon, but rather the people who made it."
―Dan'l Lewin, president and CEO, Computer History Museum

"What’s remarkable about The Big Score?It’s truly the first, and by far the best, panoramic history of theValley’s founding. But more than that, it shows the emergence of MikeMalone as the conscience of Silicon Valley, something the Valley needsnow more than ever."
―Ed Clendaniel, editorial page editor, San Jose Mercury-News

Michael S. Malone has covered Silicon Valley and tech for over 30 years. His articles and editorials have appeared in the San Jose Mercury-News, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Fortune, and the New York Times. He has written or coauthored more than 25 award-winning books, including Bill and Dave and The Intel Trinity, and co-produced The New Heroes, an Emmy-nominated miniseries on social entrepreneurs. He lives in California.

The only contemporary history of the birth of Silicon Valleyfrom the reporter who had a ringside seat to it all Over the past five decades, the tech industry has grown into one of the most important sectors of the global economy, and Silicon Valley--replete with sprawling office parks, sky-high rents, and countless self-made millionaires--is home to many of its key players. But the origins of Silicon Valley and the tech sector are much humbler. At a time when tech companies' influence continues to grow, The Big Score chronicles how they began. One of the first reporters on the tech industry beat at the San Jose Mercury-News, Michael S. Malone recounts the feverish efforts of young technologists and entrepreneurs to build something that would change the world--and score them a big payday. Starting with the birth of Hewlett-Packard in the 1930s, Malone illustrates how decades of technological innovation laid the foundation for the meteoric rise of the Valley in the 1970s. Drawing on exclusive, unvarnished interviews, Malone punctuates this history with incisive profiles of tech's early luminaries--including Nobelist William Shockley and Apple's Steve Jobs--when they were struggling entrepreneurs working 18-hour days in their garages. And he plunges us into the darker side of the Valley, where espionage, drugs, hellish working conditions, and shocking betrayals shaped the paths for winners and losers in a booming industry. A decades-long story with individual sacrifice, ingenuity, and big money at its core, The Big Score recounts the history of today's most dynamic sector through its upstart beginnings.

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