STATE LIBRARY HOSTS AN AUTHOR TALK ON BELL LABS AND THE GREAT AGE OF AMERICAN INNOVATION on Jan. 29

By Gary Cooper
On Tuesday, January 29 from noon to 1 p.m., the New Jersey State Library will present a free lunch-time program, The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation by author Jon Gertner.
Gertner will talk about the Bell Labs’ innovations that have become legendary. In the book he looks through the eyes and actions of its scientists. He will discuss what was accomplished and how the lab became a hotbed for new ideas. It’s hard to find an aspect of modern life that has not been touched by a Bell Labs innovation: the transistor, the laser, digital communications, and fiber optics are just some of the transforming ideas.
Walter Isaacson writing for The New York Times Book Review said this about the book:
…a well- researched history of Bell Labs, filled with colorful characters and inspiring lessons. But more important, The Idea Factory explores one of the most critical issues of our time: What causes innovation? Why does it happen, and how might we nurture it? The lesson of Bell Labs is that most feats of sustained innovation cannot and do not occur in an iconic garage or the workshop of an ingenious inventor. They occur when people of diverse talents and mind-sets and expertise are brought together, preferably in close physical proximity where they can have frequent meetings and serendipitous encounters.
Gertner, a graduate of Cornell University, is currently editor-at-large at Fast Company magazine. At the magazine he writes—and, on occasion, edits—features on innovation and technology. Between 2004 and 2011, he worked as a writer at The New York Times Magazine, where he wrote about science, business and society. He has also served as senior editor for Money and The American Lawyer. In March 2012, Penguin Press published his first book, The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation.
All are welcome to this program. To indicate attendance at this event contact Cindy Warrick at [email protected] or 609-278-2640 ext. 172.
About New Jersey State Library
The New Jersey State Library has three bureaus: the Library Development Bureau (LDB), the NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC) and the State Library Information Center (SLIC). The State Library connects people with information through its service to libraries, government and people with special needs. The State Library, which is affiliated with Thomas Edison State College, coordinates, promotes and funds the New Jersey Library Network, of which we are a proud member. Last year, attendance in New Jersey’s public libraries was well over 51 million with total circulation of almost 64 million, an increase of almost 6 million. For more information, visit www.njstatelib.org.