Andrew Grove is an impressive man. His early childhood was spent in Nazi-controlled Budapest (he’s Jewish), he grew up during the struggle between the less radical Hungarian communists and the more radical Soviet communists; that struggle ended with the Soviets quashing demonstrations, forcing a number of those who supported the Hungarian communists as well as those who could see the writing on the wall to flee the country. He did that when he was just nineteen or twenty, eventually immigrating to America, where he completed his university education, became an engineer, thought transistors would be a good idea and founded Intel.
All the political turmoil provides a backdrop against which his story is told; it doesn’t factor in too heavily. He is aware of and generally concerned with politics, but his attention more appropriately goes to his friends, family and studies.
A few main characteristics come through in his writing, although he never actually calls direct attention to them (he is very good at showing rather than telling). First, he’s smart. He goes out of his way to point out that he’s never the smartest person, giving examples of others who were more intelligent. Nevertheless, the man has a brain and it shows. Second, he’s good with people. He makes friends easily, and is generally able to get along with others in almost any situation, be it hiding from bombs in basements or going to school. Third, and most importantly, he’s determined. He will be going to University for chemical engineering in Budapest, even though the program only accepts twenty students from across the country, he will leave Hungary, he will get to America, he will get an engineering degree. Nothing will stop him. Well, many things might stop him, but those are just problems to be fixed. I have no doubt that this quality is one of the reasons Intel became successful.
His writing is good business writing: succinct, to the point, easy to read, with enough detail to engross you while moving fast enough to not get bogged down at any one point.
Overall, quite a good book.
Swimming Across
Originally published on degelau.com.
