Hello Bill,
I think you will like a new tech history book about Bell Labs. The name of the book is The Idea Factory and the author is Jon Gertner.
Here's a neat example of what's in the book from page 85:
"Atoms
within semiconductors bond easily with a number of other elements.
Scaff and his colleagues knew that when they cut n-type silicon (atomic
number 14) into smaller pieces on a power saw, for instance, they could
smell something they were sure was phosphorus (atomic number 15). None
of the measurement equipment could pick up the taint, but their noses
could."
How
cool is that? The book is full of this kinda of stuff and it details
the early lives of those involved in Bell Labs.....anyway I find Idea
Factory a page turner and I think you will enjoy it.
Another "abstract" from page 38:
"The
young Bell Labs recruits had other things in common. Almost all had
grown up with a peculiar desire to know more about the stars or the
telephone lines or (most often) the radio, especially their makeshift
wireless sets. Almost all of them had put one together themselves, and
in turn had discovered how sound could be pulled from the air."
73
Herb/WR9H
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
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