The incredible progress in microelectronics over the last 20 years has led to a whole range of products that have invaded and often reshaped our lives. Technologies currently being deployed or in the laboratory, such as the information super highway, virtual reality, instantaneous language translators and artificial nerves promise to further revolutionise our lives. This book, written by a distinguished member of the microelectronics community in collaboration with a leading journalist, seeks to bridge the gap between the microelectronics community and the general public. The evolution of the technology is explained with its social and economic effects, showing the forces shaping the industry and concluding with a glimpse of the ideas currently under development in the worlds' electronics laboratories.