Last month, tech columnist David Pogue released a new book titled Apple: The First 50 Years. In the U.S., the hardcover book is regularly priced at $50, but it is currently on sale for around $35 on Amazon as of the time of this writing.
Published ahead of Apple's 50th anniversary on April 1, the 600-page book explores the first five decades of the company's history. Pogue interviewed 150 key people who shaped Apple into what it is today, including the company's co-founder Steve Wozniak, former CEO John Sculley, former design chief Jony Ive, and many others.
Here is the book's official description:
In time for Apple's 50th anniversary, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue tells the iconic company's entire life story: how it was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today.
Pogue is a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, and he spent many years writing about Apple and technology for The New York Times and Macworld.
Last month, publisher Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Apple: The First 50 Years, and I consider it to be the ultimate encyclopedia for all things Apple. While the book is very long, it is broken down into digestible sections, interspersed with 350 full-color photos, a map of key Apple-related locations in the Cupertino, California area, employee profiles, smaller stories and anecdotes, and more. You can easily flip back and forth through the book and focus in on topics that interest you the most.
While I have been closely following and writing about Apple for nearly 20 years, the book still includes many facts about the company that I did not know before, and Pogue delivers on his promise of surfacing some new details too.
If you want a comprehensive overview of Apple's history, this book earns my stamp of approval. The hardcover edition makes a great collectible.
Apple: The First 50 Years is available on Amazon, Apple Books, and elsewhere.
Notes: Simon & Schuster provided MacRumors with a complimentary copy of the book for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was provided. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment.
Top Rated Comments
David has done a tremendous job, both professionally and with so much enthusiasm and love. The book is a must-have for anyone who loves technology and is interested in how the devices we all love are made.
I don't have enough words of praise, if you haven't read it yet, get it and enjoy! Thank you David for this masterpiece of Apple history.
The cover is uninspired, yes. The paper is fine, I don't know what they're talking about. The pictures are fine and the book is extremely generous with them (and color; what do you want, a slideshow?)
But the important thing is that I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Every time I pick it up, I find it very hard to put down. And as much as I normally read from cover to cover, I find myself skipping around, getting lost.
You may not like him but David Pogue is one of the ideal people to write this book, and he did an excellent job. If you're worried about paper, pictures, or price, get the ebook or wait.
It's a great book, imo. Perfect for what it is (except for the cover; I can't remember disliking or even caring about a book cover before now, but its really the worst part about it.)
I bet the book doesn't mention financial engineering even once.