Tracy Kidder, Author of 'The Soul of a New Machine,' Dies at 80

[dalton99a]

9. Kick

Josh
Massachusetts · 2h ago
Here's an anecdote about the writing of Soul of the New Machine. I was one of the subjects of the book, I designed the ALU. I left DG and went to another computer company. After I left Tracy called me to have lunch. Data General had banned him from the building. The VP who had given him permission to follow the project had never mentioned it to the CEO. When that VP left his successor told the CEO in passing about Tracy. Ed DeCastro, the CEO went ballistic. DGs lawyers called Tracy and threatened to sue him. Little Brown, the publisher, politely informed DGs lawyers about the first amendment and they relented and let Tracy back in. After Soul of the New Machine came out and became a best seller, it topped the NY Times best seller list all summer beating out The Right Stuff, DG started using it in their recruiting.

Harry
New York · 2h ago
A fine writer, a paragon of the art of nonfiction, and a journalist of sterling reputation. What I and many other readers fear is that when the Tracy Kidders of the world go they will be replaced by the aggregators and the hot-takers and the ChatGPTers. What a shame it will be to lose the kind of engaging, informative, immersive, accurate, and entertaining long-form reportage practiced at the highest level by writers such as Tracy Kidder. May his work be read for a long time to come!