Why is the rise of Silicon Valley so important?
Well, to begin with, I am expected to cover certain issues in this course, among them the development of California’s biggest industries. Computer manufacturing is the state’s third biggest industry. Beyond its economic significance, though, the story of Silicon Valley is an interesting example of how seemingly unrelated events (in this case, the building of the railroads, the antiwar movement and the rise of the personal computer) can be intimately connected.
