Chip War by Chris Miller
Chip War by Chris Miller is what happens when you take a tiny piece of technology—so small you could lose it between couch cushions—and build an entire geopolitical thriller around it. The book zeroes in on semiconductors, those microscopic chips that are the beating heart of modern civilization, and tells the story of how control over them has sparked a modern-day arms race. It’s a non-fiction tour through the annals of chip-making history, but with the stakes so high, it often feels like you’re reading a spy novel where the villain is global economic collapse.
The book takes you through a dizzying 54 short chapters, bouncing between Silicon Valley’s scrappy startups, the Cold War tech race with the Soviet Union, and Asia’s emergence as a semiconductor powerhouse. Taiwan’s TSMC—the company that now produces 90% of the world’s most advanced chips—becomes a key player in what Miller calls “weaponized interdependence.” This is where the real tension lies: the global supply of chips is as fragile as it is critical, and Taiwan’s precarious position, with China eyeing it hungrily, doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the stability of the tech world’s future.
Miller’s writing is surprisingly digestible, given that it’s a deep dive into the most technical aspects of chip design and production. He manages to transform what could have been a snooze-fest of transistors and lithography into an engaging narrative, peppering in enough geopolitical drama to keep you from zoning out completely. The style is brisk—perfect for those who like their non-fiction to feel more like a Netflix binge than a term paper.
The major theme? Whoever controls chips controls the world. This is no exaggeration in Miller’s view. He paints semiconductors as the new oil, with the U.S. and China locked in a high-stakes battle for technological supremacy. The implications for global security, especially around Taiwan, are clear: disruptions to the chip supply chain could lead to an economic catastrophe rivaling the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Chip War is undeniably thorough, its breathless pace can sometimes feel like a whirlwind tour—just when you’re sinking into the story of one region, it’s off to another global crisis. Still, it keeps you hooked, which is an achievement for a book about circuits and silicon.
This book is for you if you’re a tech enthusiast, a history buff, or a geopolitical junkie who wants to understand why your smartphone is a pawn in a global chess match. If none of these describe you, well, you might find yourself wondering why you’re reading about chips that aren’t of the potato variety. But for those willing to engage, Chip War is a detailed, often alarming, look at a future that might hinge on a wafer-thin piece of silicon.
Miller has written what is likely to be the definitive account of the semiconductor industry’s impact on the world stage, though if you’re expecting resolution on how this “war” ends, you’ll have to stay tuned. Just like the chips, the stakes are only getting smaller—and higher.
