The Soul of A New Machine

Name: The Soul of A New Machine
Price: 2.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (1707 reviews)
Author: Tracy Kidder

by Tracy Kidder

Nonfiction Biography Memoir

4.5 (1,707)

4.5 stars from 1,707 reviews. Top 83% of Nonfiction books we track.

293 pages~4.9 hr readPublished by PenguinPublished 1981-01-01

$2.99Deal70% off peak

Last checked: Jun 11, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $9.99

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Price range: $1.99 – $9.99

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Perfect for you if...

You're curious about tech history and want to understand how the computer revolution actually happened, told through real people rather than abstract timelines.
You enjoy narrative nonfiction that treats business and engineering like human drama, with all the ambition and burnout that entails.
You work in tech or engineering and recognise the pressures and culture Kidder describes. This book validates what you already know.

Maybe not for you if...

You want a technical deep-dive into microcomputer architecture. This is about the people and culture, not the circuits.
You're looking for a quick business how-to or leadership manual. This is a historical narrative that requires patience.
You prefer books published recently with contemporary examples. The 1981 setting may feel distant if you're after current industry insights.

About this book

Tracy Kidder's account of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. First published in 1981, the book examines the culture of the computer revolution during that era. The work documents the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the high-risk business approaches that led computer companies to either succeed dramatically or fail, and the drive to pursue technological innovations. It provides a historical perspective on the development of computers in the twentieth century.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $9.99

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 70% off peak. Price has dropped 9 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 235 days. Typically stays discounted for 29 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #18K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.5★ from 1,707 reviews

Gaining approximately 8 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.5 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $9.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.