Spring 2025
Reading Group: "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology"
Directed by Charlotte P. Lee, Professor, HCDE
For this DRG we will be reading and discussing economic historian Chris Miller's book: "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology". The book describes how the semiconductor came to play a critical role in modern life and how the US became dominant in chip design and manufacturing. It then goes on to explain global competition and collaboration in design and manufacturing.
In this DRG we will divide up the book to read one part per week. Participants are expected to do all the reading, attend meetings, and participate actively. Please note that while the book is long and there will be a lot of reading, it is accessible and engaging as it is written for the general public. There is also an excellent audio book that students may want to purchase as well.
Participants will take turns leading off discussion with a summary of the reading and a description of key figures and terms. Participants will be encouraged to occasionally contribute related media or academic articles for "show and tell" during the course of the quarter. At the end of the quarter students will turn in a 2-page paper and share it with the rest of the group.
Why are we reading this and who is this DRG for? The reason we are reading this is that I am pursuing new avenues for HCDE research and I need to commit a lot of this history to memory. In fact, I've already read this book once and found it engrossing. Now I am going to read it again and would love to have students to chat with about the book. This DRG is for students who are interested in learning about the history of the semiconductor industry, are interested in helping a professor get up to speed in a new area. As part of the DRG I will also share what I'm working on to connect the study of collaborative design with semiconductor manufacturing.
The DRG will be for 2-4 credits (please estimate how fast or slow you read after looking at the book) and will take place via Zoom on Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. We may choose to meet in-person once or twice but no more than that.
To apply for this reading group, please email Prof. Charlotte P. Lee cplee@uw.edu no later than Monday, March 31 at 11 a.m. You will be informed that evening if you have been selected to participate.
In your email application please state:
- your full name
- your degree program and year in the program
- confirm that you have looked up the book online to get a feel for what the reading is like both in tone and length
- describe your interest in the topic of the book
- describe your motivations for participating