Category: About

Magazine Writing, Editing, & Management

Editor, PragPub, Pragmatic Bookshelf software developer magazine, 2009-2019.
Book Development Editor, Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2010-.
Editor-at-large, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, 1988-2008.
Editor, Southern Exposure Magazine, food/wine/tourism magazine, 2003-2008.
Editor, Unix Review, software industry magazine, 2000-2001.
Editor-in-chief/Associate Publisher, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, 1984-1988.
Senior Editor and member of launch team, InfoWorld, 1981-1984.
Co-author of the 20,000-word entry “History of Computing” in Encyclopedia Britannica.
Columnist/contributing writer/editor/editorial consultant, various publications in the United States, Germany, and Italy, including San Francisco Examiner, Upside, Farmer’s Almanac, MacUser, UnixReview, PC Magazin, Business Software, Whole Earth Catalog, Southern Oregon Magazine. Helped launch a book line and a number of magazines and newsletters. 30 years of magazine editing and writing with more than a jillion published articles.

Books

Fire in the Valley: the Making of the Personal Computer, McGraw-Hill, 1984; 2nd Edition 2000; 3rd Edition from The Pragmatic Bookshelf, imminent; selected by Business 2.0 magazine as one of the 100 best business books of all time, made into a movie.
Visual Quickstart Guide: RealBasic for Mac, Peachpit Press, 2003.
Dr. Dobb’s HyperTalk Handbook, McGraw-Hill, 1988.

Other Media and Ventures

Co-author of book for movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, TNT, movie nominated for 5 Emmys, 1999.
Writer and model for comic strip character Max Netroom, Investigatore Virtuale, published by the Italian company WebEgg, 1998-2002.
Co-owner, Summer Jo’s Organic Farm, Restaurant, and Bakery, Grants Pass, Oregon, 1999-2013.

Academic

MA, Computer Science, Indiana University.
BA, Psychology, Indiana University.

Contact Information

Michael Swaine
Blog: www.swaine.com
Email: mike at swaine dot com
Twitter: @pragpub or @mswaine

“Mike’s a wonderful person and writer. He’s funny and insightful, and he writes about complex subjects with great clarity. His Dr. Dobb’s column “Swaine’s Flames” has delivered software industry insight with wit for over two decades. His book Fire in the Valley is the real source for most of the articles you’ll ever read on the early days of the personal computer revolution. He’s one of the few technology writers who is universally respected by programmers.”
Rich Seidner, President, Silicon Valley Virtual, Inc.

“Michael is a brilliant thinker and witty writer about issues related to application development, the IT market, and life in general. His insights as the long-time columnist for the legendary Dr. Dobb’s Journal are a major reason Dr. Dobb’s will remain a legend.”
Mark Hall, Editor in Chief, Miller Freeman

“Michael has in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the high-technology industry, gained through decades of covering that industry. He is the consummate writer and would be a great asset to any employer.”
Eva Langfeldt, Chief Copy Editor, Infoworld

“Michael Swaine is a long time friend and associate, dating from the point when he joined the editorial staff of Doctor Dobbs Journal and wrote Fire in the Valley, the quintessential history of the Silicon Valley. Michael is one of the best technical journalists: knowledgeable, perceptive, articulate, personable, and possessed of a charming sardonic sense of humor. He is one of the best.”
Dennis Allison, Co-Founder, Board Chair, Peoples Computer Company

“I’ve known Michael for over a decade now, and I knew of him well before that. He’s an excellent and very knowledgeable writer. He also runs a great restaurant!”
Alan Oppenheimer, President, Open Door Networks

“I’ve been reading Mike Swaine’s work—magazines, books, and on-line—for longer than I can remember. He manages to be both thought-provoking and smile-provoking at the same time, and I learn something every time I read his work.”
Mike Morton

“I had read Mr. Swaine’s work for many years before I met him, and so felt honored when he contacted me for an interview. I was even more impressed with the way he conducted the interview. The technology I work on is abstruse and difficult to understand, and all too often I have to patiently handle some, shall we say, introductory-level questions, but Mr. Swaine quickly grasped the thrust and substance of my work, asking questions that were at times uncomfortably penetrating. The interview did not feel like the typical questions-and-answers routine; it felt more like a discussion of the problems and potential of a radically different technology.”
Chris Crawford, Legendary Game Developer and Owner, Storytron

“Michael is an icon in the computer publishing business and I was lucky enough to encounter him early in my writing career. I learned a lot from him about many aspects of writing and publishing—both from personal contact and just from following his writing over the years. Perhaps the thing I envy him most for is his writing style. It’s witty without being condescending or corny. Yet he can still drill down into the most technical material with ease. His writing is entertaining, but it isn’t just entertainment. There’s a lot to envy with Michael. His work for Dr. Dobb’s is, of course, well known. Fire in the Valley remains a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the golden age of silicon valley. The breadth of his personal network of people in the computer and publishing world is astounding. I can unreservedly give Michael the highest possible recommendation as a writer and an editor.”
Al Williams, Contributing Editor, Dr. Dobb’s Journal

“In addition to Michael’s many editorial talents, he has real vision about the tech industry. He’s also an extreme pleasure to work with.”
Lissy Abraham, Apple Computer