Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology

Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology is a nonfiction book written in 2022 by Chris Miller. He is an economic historian and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. The book explains how semiconductors (computer chips) have become an important part of modern life. It also talks about the global struggles over this technology. The book won the 2022 Financial Times Business Book of the Year award.

 Overview 
The book shows how powerful computer chips helped weaken the Soviet Union by making its weapons less effective. It explains that controlling the chip industry will be very important in the future. It also discusses China's weakness because it depends on other countries for chips. In fact, China spends more money on importing chips than on oil.

 Reviews 
Financial Times journalist Demetri Sevastopulo praised the book for making a complex topic easy to understand. He liked how Miller explained the changes in the chip industry, not just in the U.S. but also in Asia. Sevastopulo appreciated Miller's detailed depiction of the chip industry's fluctuations, not just in the U.S., but also in Asian countries that control large portions of the supply chain for this technology.

Global Policy called it the most detailed book about the politics of microchips. It covers everything from the industry's early days in Silicon Valley to today's tensions near Taiwan.

Barry Eichengreen from Foreign Affairs liked Miller’s storytelling but noted that the book does not discuss recent U.S. policies restricting China’s access to advanced chips. He also said the book does not predict whether these restrictions will stop China from growing its chip industry or make China take stronger actions, possibly against Taiwan.

Greg Mankiw called it "a fascinating history of the semiconductor industry" and said it is important for both economics and politics. He highly recommended it.

 References 

 See too 
 Semiconductor industry in China

Category:Non-fiction books
Category:2022 books