Palo Alto

Probably the most detailed read you can get on the history of Palo Alto and more broadly, how Palo Alto nests into the larger vision of California, America and the world. There's a lot to digest however it demonstrates the thread throughout history, tying the origin of Palo Alto to the creation of many of the systems we lionize today.

Very good on the whole, although a bit of a slog. I especially appreciated the early history of California, which was much better than the whitewashed version I got in school. The bits on Stanford and Palo Alto history were enlightening as well. By the time it got to silicon valley, it was mostly stuff I was already aware of, but still historically accurate and worthwhile criticism.