Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 006.5 EAN: 9780743285223 ISBN: 0743285220 Label: Simon & Schuster Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 304 Publication Date: October 24, 2006 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Sales Rank: 464601 Studio: Simon & Schuster
Product DescriptionThe iPod has become a full-blown cultural phenomenon, giving us a new vocabulary (we shuffle our iTunes on our nanos), revolutionizing the way we experience music and radio through the invention of podcasting, opening up new outlets for video, and challenging the traditional music industry as never before. The design itself has become iconic: there is even a shade of white now called iPod White.
Steven Levy has had rare access to everyone at Apple who was involved in creating the iPod -- including Steve Jobs, Apple's charismatic cofounder and CEO, whom he has known for over twenty years. In telling the story behind the iPod, Levy explains how it went from the drawing board to global sensation. He also examines how this deceptively diminutive gadget raises a host of new technical, legal, social, and musical questions (including the all-important use of one's playlist as an indicator of coolness), and writes about where the iPhenomenon might go next in his new Afterword. Sharp and insightful, The Perfect Thing is part history and part homage to the device that we can't live without.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Interesting read
I read this book when it first came out and enjoyed it greatly - I found it an interesting read full of small insights into the industry in general and Apple specifically. As someone that has been a casual user of iPods and other MP3 players for years (first was a Diamond Rio 500), as I read the book (and saw Steven Levy on Charlie Rose) it explained why certain things are they way they are with the iPod. I enjoy history of technology books, and this one is well-written.
Rating: - I love this book
I had no idea how much fun this book would be. I expected to learn how the iPod was developed, and I did. I expected to read about how cool the iPod is, and I did. I expected to read about the way the iPod changed both Apple and the music industry, and I did.
I did not expect to laugh out loud every few minutes, but I did. Steven Levy is a great writer - his knowledge of Apple combined with his knowledge of popular music makes the book great fun to read. Levy is simply an excellent writer, ... Read More
Rating: - A great look at the iPod's impact
I really enjoyed this book, and I think Levy did a really good job of writing a book that appeals not only to diehard Apple fans or "nerds", but to everyday people. The book speaks to how huge of a product the iPod has become, and how modest the early goals of the product were for Apple. It was a device that took only a few short months to fabricate and ship, but it's legacy will last for years to come.
Rating: - Enjoyable book
I very much enjoyed this book. Great story about the vision of Steve Jobs and Apple, and how a company can aspire to great products. Makes me want to go and buy more ipods and Macs.
Rating: - An intriguing read on iPod and its impact
Why do people ask for an iPod when they want an MP3 player? Other players hold as many or more songs, and play them just as well. Owning an iPod is more about music than about keeping up with the latest trends. That is why the iPod still holds the top spot in MP3 player sales. Author Steven Levy explores how the iPod came to be and how it earned its status as a cultural icon. Even the book's iPod-looking cover could evoke emotion from an iPod fan. We recommend this book to iPod lovers who will relish its ... Read More
- Interesting read
- I love this book
