OneofBarackObama’sFavoriteBooksof2023TheFinancialTimesBusinessBookoftheYear,thisepicaccountofthedecades-longbattletocontroloneoftheworld’smostcriticalresources--microchiptechnology--withtheUnitedStatesandChinaincreasinglyinfiercecompetitionis“pulsequickening...anonfictionthriller“(TheNewYorkTimes).Youmaybesurprisedtolearnthatmicrochipsarethenewoil--thescarceresourceonwhichthemodernworlddepends.Today,military,economic,andgeopoliticalpowerarebuiltonafoundationofcomputerchips.Virtuallyeverything--frommissilestomicrowaves--runsonchips,includingcars,smartphones,thestockmarket,eventheelectricgrid.Untilrecently,Americadesignedandbuiltthefastestchipsandmaintaineditsleadasthe#1superpower,butAmerica’sedgeisindangerofslipping,underminedbyplayersinTaiwan,Korea,andEuropetakingovermanufacturing.Now,asChipWarreveals,China,whichspendsmoreonchipsthananyotherproduct,ispouringbillionsintoachip-buildinginitiativetocatchuptotheUS.AtstakeisAmerica’smilitarysuperiorityandeconomicprosperity.EconomichistorianChrisMillerexplainshowthesemiconductorcametoplayacriticalroleinmodernlifeandhowtheUSbecamedominantinchipdesignandmanufacturingandappliedthistechnologytomilitarysystems.America’svictoryintheColdWaranditsglobalmilitarydominancestemsfromitsabilitytoharnesscomputingpowermoreeffectivelythananyotherpower.Untilrecently,Chinahadbeencatchingup,aligningitschip-buildingambitionswithmilitarymodernization.Illuminating,timely,andfascinating,ChipWaris“anessentialandengrossinglandmarkstudy“(LondonTimes).
economics economic TECHNOLOGY China Korea WORLD SMARTPHONES TIMELY
