Grove biog lifts covers on Intel

Written by Harvard professor Richard S. Tedlow, the book is called Andy Grove: The Life and Times of an American, and traces Grove's progress from the Hungarian pogrom to building one of the world's most powerful, history-shaping companies and on to his current health battles and ongoing research efforts.

We hope to get a copy next week but Tedlow's book does not sound an easy read. As the author notes on this podcast, Grove was, "literally a hunted child ... the last CEO who will ever have grown up under both Nazism … and Communism. He came [to the US] with nothing but the shirt on his back. He literally crawled out of Hungary. He left his parents on a street corner. There couldn't be a demonstration of affection because the Russians would think, gee, is this one making for the border?"

As well as such insights into Grove's hard early times, Tedlow uses unique access to Grove's copious notebooks to gain valuable insights into Intel culture. Intriguingly, he suggests Intel was set up as a negative of Hungarian government: "Let chaos reign and then reign in chaos."

Apparently, Intel staff have access to a company guide to 1150 TLAs -- three-letter acronyms to the absolutely uninitiated.

There are also lighter episodes such as the dinner at Grove's house where a youthful Bill Gates suggests a plan is "actionable", as in do-able. Misinterpreting the comment as a legal threat, Grove is furious at the supposed breach of etiquette.

The book retails for £18.99 but Amazon.co.uk has copies from £10 here

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There is also an excellent article by tedlow on Grove here. µ