Foot Soldier in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by Jeffrey Cooper

Looking at the history of computing, cultural transformation, and the rise of internet technology through his own life and work, Jeffrey Cooper delivers a stirring and timely memoir with Foot Soldier in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Over the course of nearly fifty years, Jeffrey Cooper reliably sought and found himself on the cutting edge of technological advances that have shaped our 21st-century world. The fact that Cooper’s career at GE started four years after the first microprocessor was released, and has stretched well into the modern age of VR, AI, and quantum supercomputers demonstrates the breadth of the author’s experience and perspective. The titular revolution is ongoing, but its roots stretch back decades, as the computer age gained steam and produced the interconnected planet we often take for granted today.

The beginning of the book covers Cooper’s pre-professional life and childhood, covering these years with honesty and insight. The middle of the book details the author’s career and gives readers an inside peek at the speed-driven world of tech giants, as well as the critical role Cooper played in the rise of semiconductors. Time and again, Cooper highlights how learning from the past is the only way to ensure a better future, as all revolutions require continual shifts in thinking.

The writing is surprisingly accessible, given some of the denser subject matter, while the reflective moments, particularly related to his family and personal fulfillment, are touching and heartfelt. Balancing philosophy, sociology, technology, and family, this is a well-rounded memoir of a man perpetually seeking the edge of the impossible, giving readers a fascinating lens into our modern age and what is yet to come.