Hammer and Silicon
The Soviet Diaspora in the US Innovation Economy — Immigration, Innovation, Institutions, Imprinting, and Identity

'The story of the contributions made by professional immigrants from the Soviet Union and their families is often overlooked when thinking about innovation in the US economy over the past half-century. As Puffer, McCarthy and Satinsky demonstrate, this lacuna should be filled. Their book, Hammer and Silicon, represents an important step towards getting the story the attention it deserves.' Blair A. Ruble, Vice President for Programs and Director of the Urban Sustainability Laboratory, Woodrow Wilson Center

'When the authors gave their report at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, I said they were doing 'important work'. Having now fully read the book, I would like to add underline, boldface, asterisk, and exclamation point to that sentence. I was deeply impressed by the book. I hope it will get the broad readership that it deserves, especially at this time of the questioning of the value of immigration to the US. But I would like to return to my gratitude to them for writing this book. There is nothing like it out there. I thank Puffer, McCarthy and Satinsky for their insightful, important contribution.' Loren Graham, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University

'I have started reading Hammer and Silicon and really enjoy finding deeply personal interviews that illuminate the universal human experience. It is fascinating how the authors have transformed the stories of families into a profound and sometimes moral narrative on searching the balance on émigrés' fragile hold on the past. For me, this read is like a tour de force that illuminates all that is lost, and found in a new country, new identity, new language. I have kept reading it. Thanks for the wonderful and inspiring book.' Svitlana Malykhina, Ph.D., Head of the Russian Language Program, Boston University

'[This book] has the immediate promise of innovation. Hammer & Silicon is a collaboration between accomplished and prolific scholars (Puffer/McCarthy) and a practitioner (Satinsky) and is far from conventional.' Olga Kuznetsova, Europe-Asia Studies

'This book offers a wealth of information about the post Soviet elite diaspora, serving as a very useful tool for those interested in the post Soviet and elite migration in general, and for anyone seeking to understand the developments in the political, socioeconomic, and academic spheres of the region.' Andrei V. Korobkov, The Russian Review