Morgan G. Ames shows how a nerd's dream is shattered by the real world in this brilliantly written and equally brilliantly researched book. Particularly interesting is how Ames analyzes the psychological deep structure of the initiators and how this structure made the hardware of the final product virtually unusable. It's also a sociologically watertight account of how a good narrative, especially if it's technical in nature, can bring a future so bright that you have to wear sunglasses to see it. What also makes this book so good is that the findings and experiences in it also expose the current hype around makerspaces as an absolutely parallel charisma narrative. For "Vorsprung durch Technik" nerds, but also educators in STEM subjects, a real recommendation.