Book · 2006 · History
What the Dormouse Said
How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry
Why people recommend it
What the Dormouse Said by John Markoff is a historical account tracing the origins of the personal computer revolution to the counterculture and psychedelic experiments of the 1960s San Francisco Bay Area. Jason Silva brought up Markoff's book on The Joe Rogan Experience during episode 369 on June 21, 2013, while appearing alongside Duncan Trussell and Ari Shaffir. Silva referenced the work during a broader conversation examining the surprising historical connection between early computer scientists, cybernetic visionaries, and the use of mind-altering substances in Silicon Valley. The discussion highlighted how visionary thinkers integrated cybernetics with utopian ideals to shape the digital tools that eventually transformed modern communication. Silva used the text to illustrate how technological innovation often emerges from unconventional philosophical roots and collaborative subcultures rather than purely corporate environments. Rogan and his guests explored these historical threads to understand the ideological foundations of the digital age and the unorthodox pioneers who imagined networked computing long before it became mainstream.
Who recommended it
- Jason Silva Recommended
Jason Silva — 1 mention
“there's a book called by John marov called what the door Mouse says which talks about that where that came from”