The Cult of Mac

by Leander Kahney

There is no product on the planet that enjoys the devotion of a Macintosh computer. Famously dedicated to their machines, many Mac fans eat, sleep, and breathe Macintosh. The Cult of Mac is the first book about Macintosh culture, arguably the largest distinct subculture in computing.

Written by Wired News managing editor Leander Kahney , The Cult of Mac is an in-depth look at Mac users and their unique, creative, and often very funny culture. Like fans of a football team or a rock group, Macintosh fans have their own customs, with clearly defined obsessions, rites and passages. From people who get Mac tattoos and haircuts, to those who furnish their apartments with empty Mac boxes, this book details Mac fandom in all of its forms.

The paperback edition includes an all-new chapter about the iPod, updates throughout, and new photos that reflect current Apple technology.

Genres: Apple, Technology, Nonfiction, Business, Cultural, Design, Science

280 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Leander Kahney is managing editor, formerly a senior reporter at Wired News, the online sister publication of Wired. He is the author of The Cult of Mac , Cult of iPod and Inside Steve's Brain. Kahney is best known for his popular blog, Cult of Mac (The Cult of Mac Blog). As a prominent writer on Apple- and Mac-related topics, Kahney was once theorized (incorrectly) to be the identity of Fake Steve Jobs.

Leander has worked for many other publications, including: MacWeek, as a senior reporter, Scientific American, The Observer and The Guardian in London. Working as a newspaper reporter in the UK, he covered amongst other things, the war in former Yugoslavia.

According to Gawker.com, Leander Kahney has been laid off from Wired.COM.

He is currently living in San Francisco, California and is a father of four.

Reviews

[William Schram · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Cult of Mac features a man with a logo shaved into the back of his head right on the cover. While I suppose I can understand a fervent allegiance to a brand, I would never do such a thing. Full disclosure; I think that a Mac is an overpriced computer where you pay more for the brand than for the actual memory or processing power. They certainly have a lot of things going for them, but recently with Steve Jobs dead, it seems they lost their way. This is merely my uneducated opinion. I have never purchased a Mac, but I have used one. I like the way the keyboards look, but the mice look stupid to me. This is my initial reaction to the cover of the book. It is also somewhat difficult to find the name of the author in the book.

The main portion of the book is dedicated to the people who love Apple and their products. People get tattooed, they get haircuts, they make comics, they have decals stolen from their cars and more. This book was printed in 2004, so it was during the point where Apple probably deserved its popularity. I am not really big on technology history when it comes to Apple. I know they took liberties with ideas from Xerox PARC along with Microsoft and so on. I know they developed the first Macintosh back in 1976 or so.

It even talks about stupid things like how Apple is portrayed in movies and such. Obviously, they pay to be seen in the movie in a positive light. I am not an exhaustive reference on this idea now, I have not watched every movie that prominently features computers, but the ones that I remember are pretty exemplary. Take Independence Day for example. Nerdy guy from MIT uses a Powerbook to create a computer virus to take down aliens. What’s his name? Ah, Jeff Goldblum, that’s right. While Mac doesn’t have a perfect track record of only being used by good guys in film, he only lists three times where the bad guy uses a Mac.

They had people that worked for free in major retailers repairing Macs and helping to sell them. This is entirely unfathomable to me. While I might enjoy computer stuff working for free is not my idea of a good time.

I dropped this since I couldn’t really relate to it. While it is interesting seeing the people that are obsessed with something like a brand, I can’t understand the motivation behind it other than that they were indoctrinated.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had heard of this book some time ago & happened upon it recently at a used bookstore. It wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, as it glosses over a lot. I didn’t realize it is based on a magazine column by the same name, which may explain the lack of depth to each chapter.

As someone who’s had an Apple product in the house since 1980 & a Mac since 1984, I can fully get the Cult of the Mac. Here, the book touches on some of it, but spends a lot of time on the iPhone & those that wait in line for one. Mac folks are not known for standing in line for days to get a new laptop.

The best part of the book is the chapter about the collectors, especially the subset of collectors that seek out prototypes. That was really interesting, as it dives into the what-if’s that is product development. A whole book on prototypes & their stories would be amazing.

The book should actually be titled Cult of Apple. It would have also been better if it had stories of more professionals who swear by Macs in their work. Its a fair entry into the extreme fanatics of Apple devices, but doesn’t do much as to what they get out of it. Except the collectors.

[Kris French · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Probably my fault for assuming this book was going to be an examination of the marketing and psychological forces that shaped this rabid fanbase. What it *is*, is an indulgent tour of that fanbase led by a self-admitted member of the cult. I can't imagine this appealing to anyone who isn't already sold.

[LaanSiBB]

This is a high school essay, do not recommend to technicians.

[Angel Valenzuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for a picture book

[David Alves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Don't have too much to say about this book, really. I've read some of other people's reviews, and I agree with the fact that it is outdated, to the point that it doesn't contain any info about iPhones and the right to repair movement and it's connection to Apple. No, I'm not an Apple fan. I used to be kind of 'meh' towards them, until I saw the recent applications of their "no repair" policy. It's just a disgrace. And that's why I got into the book. I always wonderer why people would have a devotion to the Apple Brand. It was just beyond me, why would they be willing to pay more for something that they could have for a more reasonably price. Is it really such an increase in quality? I can't imagine that it does many more things than a non-apple pc.

Anyway the book is not about any of that stuff, but rather of things people do that demonstrate their devotion to the Brand. And about that: People are awesome. And to me this is what the book is really about, not Apple products. From people kindly dedicating their free time to sell stuff on other's peoples shops, to changing completely a radio from the 1930's to put inside a computer. It's quite impressive the things people do. And this is why I choose to read books almost everyday: to be amazed at people, for what they do, or what they are, or what they create. And this is why anyone should read this book. To be amazed at what people can do.

The only issue that I had with this is that in the end the book spends a chapter giving an exam to apple in terms of Marketing. And that sucks, it's just too boring.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here a MAC, there a MAC, everywhere a MAC MAC. I work for MAC (a cosmetics company with its own decidedly cult following). But not the APPLE MAC, which I have become enamored of since obtaining my own MacBook Pro in the last year...which led to an iPod Touch purchase that I affectionately refer to as my "MiNi MAC" -- a satellite version of the mothership laptop. Hence my interest in reading _The Cult of Mac_: an interesting look at the technology of all that Apple has brought forth to the masses.

Essentially this is a coffee table book of sorts. However, it is an interesting overview of the counterculture beginnings of the company and how it continues to be the forerunner of "cool" in the gadget and operating system world. I found a kindred mindset to those who have become so attached to these very user friendly Apple offerings and was entertained by the extremes these Mac people will go through to make a statement. (Highlights include a plethora of Apple logo tattoos and various artistic recycling projects including turning old monitors into aquariums!)

Basically, this book makes one crave Apples!

And here's a little piece of Apple trivia for ya: Bill Gates uses an Apple. 'Nuff said!

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a Machead. Tried and true down to the very core of my being. When I heard about this book, I was excited. A book about Macs and Macheads, written by a Machead, for his fellow Macheads. One of the reviews even called this a "love letter to Mac users" or some such. Well, after finishing the book, I've gotta say that I'm not feeling terribly loved. Kahney does a good job of detailing the history of Macs and why users become such ardent freaks for the system. He does so in excruciating detail and with a ton of research time spent. But his writing is so disjointed and inconsistent in its style, that it becomes painful to read and you want to spend the rest of the time doing nothing but looking at the pictures and reading the accompanying captions which capture the gist of what he has written perfectly. While I will admit to having enjoyed the sections on people who have customized old Macs or the stuff about tchotchke collectors, some of the other stuff was just downright boring. Kahney's style lends itself well to his "Cult of Mac" blog on Wired.com, but in long form...

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With its sleek design and short, well-focused chapters, this book is a quick and engaging read about the obsession many audiophiles have with the iPod. Like any book about technology, this one is already a bit out of date, but it does a good job of capturing how much of a cultural phenomenon the iPod was in its early years. Kahney was writing extensively about Apple products for Wired at the time, so his bias is clear, and at times the chapters felt a bit more like excerpts than fully-formed pieces. The layout is eye-catching, though the font is a little small and runs so far across the page that more than once I nearly cracked the spine of my copy trying to read everything on a line. That said, it's a great starting place for those interested in the impact the iPod has had on our society.

[Darwin Eng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, something catering to my personal tastes is this book, and it is completely about Apple. Yes, it might be a little old (a few years, considering that Apple has released a slew of new products in that time period.) but it can still be completely relevant. It discusses the Cult that many people have withy Apple (and I am MOST definantly one of them).
The book essentially addresses the fascination that people have wiht Apple, and that it is one of the few compnaies in the world that have a cult following. It's just great to be able to see what other extremes people do for Apple. There is not much I can really say about this book except that there are some people who are VERY devoted to Apple enough to get Tattoos or get other permanent means to show their devotion.

[Matthew Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book from 2004 is more of a time capsule from Apple's past. It shows the point between the beginning of Apple's resurgence with the iMac and iPod and its dominance with the iPhone. Its description of Apple as a counterculture icon seems strange now with the ubiquitousness of the iPhone and iPad. But the book does show the passion Apple users have for their products. Apple is more than just a brand, but an identity and an outlook on technology and its place in the world. Although companies like Microsoft and Samsung have outsold Apple, they can't match the devotion of Apple's customers. This book may seem dated now, but it does provide insight of how the Cult of Mac (and iPhone/iPad/iPod) came to be.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've done a lot of research on the Mac culture, and this was a great resource.

[Nate Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look inside the passionate following of this iconic brand. Details all aspects of Mac culture, from the cool to the insanely nerdy.

[Luke Weyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

For any Apple enthusiast this is most fun to read, an eye opening experience to the world of dedicated fans for sure.

[Brian S. Wise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read approximately 81 pages. Every page provided at least one irritant, sometimes more. I can't give this book away fast enough.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siamo un movimento, già.