Jakub Dlouhy We recently came up with an article about a new documentary that covers the story of the Apple Newton. However, the apple company is not only a source of inspiration for filmmakers, but also for writers who choose this topic in abundance. The most diverse publications follow the lives of personalities associated with Apple, describe certain periods of the company or try to reveal the hidden principles of its operation. Here is a list of the 10 best books, most of them are also available in Czech.
Steve Jobs | Walter Isaacson
You can't start with any other book than the official biography that Jobs himself collaborated on. Although it faces criticism pointing to lengthy passages about nothing and a lack of sincerity, certain information provided in this publication cannot be found anywhere else. So it's kind of a must-read for every true fan of the Cupertino company who wants to at least partially understand the thinking of Steve Jobs.
Gallery
Steve Jobs - My Life, My Love, My Curse | Chrisann Brennan
A publication by Jobs' former girlfriend and the mother of his initially rejected daughter Lisa reveals Jobs' other face. She portrays him as a personality full of contrasts – as an arrogant but withdrawn young man, as a genius filled with dreams and hopelessness, as a brute who left his pregnant girlfriend the day he became a multimillionaire. This is a book that sets the Jobs myth straight and honestly portrays his true nature.
Gallery
Becoming Steve Jobs | Brent Schlender, Rick Tetzeli
While Walter Isaacson's biography falters in some places, Becoming Steve Jobs shows the visionary's nature in a much better way. The official biography often extensively describes the relatively unimportant parts of Jobs' life, whereas this publication focuses mainly on the most important moments. That is, how he transformed himself from the person who was fired from Apple to the one who eventually came as a savior and saved the company. The publication is currently only available in English.
Gallery
Inside Apple | Adam Lashinsky
The author of this book attempts to unravel the hidden mechanisms that made Apple so great and still allow it to create great products. The book tries to answer questions like what it's like to have Steve Jobs as your boss, what motivates employees to work in uncertainty and with tens of hours of overtime, or how it is possible to keep a product so perfectly secret before the presentation. However, some questions will understandably remain unanswered. It must be added that the work is no longer completely up-to-date and quite a lot of attention is given to, for example, Scott Forstall. We once wrote a review about this book on Jablíčkář, you can find it <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>.
Jony Ive | Leander Kahney
Another important personality associated with the Cupertino company is the chief designer (Chief Design Officer) Jony Ive, who, as the subtitle says, is behind the best Apple products. It's incredible that this one person is responsible for the teams behind the design of the MacBook, iMac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple Watch. Considering how little Jony Ive reveals about himself in public, this is a very valuable book and offers a very valuable insight into his person. We not only provided extensive information about this book, but also provided 7 samples for free. You can find them here: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
Gallery
Revolution in the Valley | Andy Hertzfeld
Andy Hertzfeld himself, a well-known member of the Mac team and the creator of a large part of the new user interface, is the author of a publication describing the period at Apple when the revolutionary computer was created. The story of how the Macintosh came to be is told mainly from Hertzfeld's own point of view, which in this case is not at the expense, but instead provides us with a valuable view of the time. The book describes the entire period from the creation of the Mac team in 1979 to its triumphant performance in 1984 and also offers little-known period photos. The work is currently only available in English.
Gallery
Insanely simple | Ken Segall
You may be familiar with the name Ken Segall from our recent article. In his work, the creator of the legendary Think Different campaign presents 10 main rules that make the apple company so successful. Like Inside Apple, the publication is no longer as up-to-date and shows what Apple was like rather than what it is today. Even so, it offers unique interviews and at least partly reveals the secrets that brought the Cupertino company to the top. Everything in the work revolves around the main theme, which is simplicity. However, after reading, you will find out that even that can be complicated. The book is also available in the Czech edition.
The Steve Jobs journey | Jay Elliott
“[The book] presents a deep, insightful look at Steve Jobs' unique leadership style that forever changed our daily lives and the world around us. Anyone who wants to learn from his success will find interesting and inspiring insights on almost every page," reads the official description of the work. The publication focuses on portraying Jobs' personality and gives guidance for those who aspire to become at least similarly successful. At the time of publishing the Czech translation, we made 4 samples available on Jablíčkář. You can find them here: (1) (2) (3) (4)
Gallery
Apple: The Road to Mobile | Partick Zandl
Czech authors also have their representatives in books on the apple theme, one of them is the Czech journalist, entrepreneur and founder of Mobil.cz Patrick Zandl. Like other books, his work also tries to correct the ambiguities and myths associated with Cupertino society and brings some interesting facts. It explains, for example, why the iPhone was introduced first, when at Apple they were previously working on the iPad, or how many hundreds of developers worked to optimize the operating system for the iPhone. The work is written rather objectively, Zandl does not glorify Apple, nor does he make Jobs a flawless hero. However, the book ignores the beginnings of the company and deals only with the period after the introduction of the iPhone - therefore it is not very suitable for those who want to learn more about the history of the company.
Designed by Apple in California
The tenth publication is rather a bonus, but it cannot be neglected. The book Designed by Apple in California, published in 2016 by Apple itself, is completely unique and documents 300 years of design by the Cupertino company on 20 pages. Apart from an introduction written by Jony Ive himself and a brief description of some photos, you will not find any text in it. The book is a beautiful piece of design in its own right, providing stunning photographs of both well-known products and never-before-seen prototypes. So if you have enough funds and want to have a wonderful piece for your collection, you can buy the book <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>. Smaller format for 5 CZK, larger for 599 CZK.
Gallery
if the book published by Apple seems too expensive to someone, there is an alternative: https://iconicbook.myshopify.com
And we immediately recommend reading the originals. The Czech translations for a number of the mentioned books are terrible, Walter Isaacson was the worst (the translation is at the level of "plate" instead of "diskette").