"The 1980s New Wave star-turned-Silicon Valley entrepreneur traces his disadvantaged early years in a London bedsit, creation of the breakout hit "She Blinded Me With Science" and role in pioneering the use of MP3s in cellphones"--NoveList.

"The remarkable story of rising to the top of the music charts, a second act as a tech pioneer, and the sustaining power of creativity and art. Thomas Dolby's hit songs 'She Blinded Me with Science' and 'Hyperactive!' catapulted him to international fame in the early 80's. A pioneer of New Wave and Electronica, Thomas combined a love for invention with a passion for music, and the result was a new sound that defined an era of revolutionary music. But as record company politics overshadowed the joy of performing, Thomas found a surprising second act. Starting out in a rat-infested London bedsit, a teenage Thomas Dolby stacked boxes by day at the grocery and tinkered with a homemade synthesizer at night, while catching the Police at a local dive bar, swinging by the pub to see the unknown Elvis Costello, and starting the weekend with a Clash show at a small nightclub. London on the eve of the 1980s was a hotbed for music and culture, and a new sound began to take shape, merging technology with the musical energy of punk rock. Thomas played keyboards in other bands' shows, and with a bit of luck found his own style, quickly establishing himself on the scene and recording breakout hits that took radio, MTV, and dance clubs by storm. The world was now his oyster, and sold-out arenas, world tours, even a friendship with Michael Jackson became the fabric of his life. But as the record industry floundered and disillusionment set in, Thomas turned his attention to Hollywood. Scoring films and computer games eventually led him to Silicon Valley and a software startup that turned up the volume on the digital music revolution. His company barely survived the dotcom bubble but finally even the mavericks at Apple, Microsoft, Netscape, and Nokia see the light. By 2005, two-thirds of the world's mobile phones embedded his Beatnik software. Life at the zenith of a tech empire proved to be just as full of big personalities, battling egos and roller-coaster success as his days spent at the top of the charts. [This book] is the story of an extraordinary man living an extraordinary life, a single-handed quest to make peace between art and the digital world."--Dust jacket.