The Idea Factory is a fascinating book for anyone interesting in the process of innovation. To read more about me, and find links to some of my magazine journalism, you can go to: The book will likewise explore the larger ideas, as well as the underlying principles, of long-term projects and durability.

My next book for Random House will examine NASA’s long-running Voyager mission-its engineering, scientific observations, and legacy. A story about the process of scientific discovery, the book aims to tell how the work in Greenland, aided by an evolving array of technological tools, has led us to a profound understanding of our current climate crisis. The Ice at the End of the World, (Random House, 2019) details 150 years of exploration and investigation on the Greenland ice sheet, beginning in the 1880s. My first book, The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation (Penguin Press, 2012) chronicles a generation of scientists working at the 20th Century’s greatest laboratory and explores the importance of technological innovation. To put it slightly differently: In my longer projects, I’m trying to pay close attention to certain aspects of our past so we can better understand the present, and perhaps the future. My books, however, focus on historical episodes that have had a significant but underappreciated influence. My magazine and newspaper stories mainly address contemporary issues in science, technology, and business. My journalism and book reviews have also appeared in Wired, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

In addition to writing books, I’m a longtime contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine.

The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner