“Philip Pullman meets Stephen Hawking in this beautiful book exploring human potential. Adventure, awakening and a touch of whimsy.”

—Monabi Mitra, Writer & Professor

 “A fascinating book… Sunil Mehta does an outstanding job of bringing to life the pioneers who transformed our world over the last century. Novelizing their lives is an interesting way to introduce these remarkable innovators to readers who might otherwise never take the time to get to know them.”

—David Laws, Semiconductor Curator, Computer History Museum; Silicon Valley historian

 “Everyone knows who invented the telephone, the light bulb and the airplane. But who invented the integrated circuit and the microprocessor—and helped create the digital world we live in today? Few people know. The Compass answers those questions in a way that makes learning history both engaging and fun.”

—John East, Former CEO, Actel Corporation; Author, Silicon Valley: The Way I Saw It

“Sunil Mehta’s novel takes us on an unusual voyage where we must travel back in time in order to find our tomorrow. As the world grapples with the ethical problems AI has raised, four youthful protagonists attempt to invoke the moral compass of scientific research and discovery by revisiting their history. Innovative and timely, The Compass delves into what is perhaps the most confounding dilemma facing humankind today with a rare blend of knowledge and imagination.”

—Anuradha Marwah, Novelist, Playwright & Professor

The Compass transforms the history of science and technology into a narrative adventure while remaining anchored in historical reality. Through Albert Einstein, Robert Noyce, and Steve Jobs, it traces a coherent arc from scientific theory to engineering innovation to societal adoption, showing how technological revolutions emerge from the interaction of ideas, industry, entrepreneurship, and culture across decades.

Drawing on Sunil Mehta’s more than forty years in Silicon Valley, the novel brings an unusual authenticity to that history. By restoring the atmosphere, emotion, doubt, and human dimension behind discoveries and inventions, it allows readers not merely to observe history from a distance, but to experience it alongside those who shaped it.

—Stéphane Dalbera, Founder, Atopos & Tech History Blogger