Bartending: Memoirs of an Apple Genius

by Stephen Hackett

When “Apple Store” shows up on your resumé — like it does on Stephen Hackett’s — people ask questions. Did you get free stuff? Did you know about products before they were announced? Did you ever get an email from Steve?

Being one of the most successful companies in the world has made anything Apple-related newsworthy and special, including working in its retail stores. The truth is that selling computers at the Apple Store isn’t that much different from selling them anywhere else, but it is better.

It’s better because Apple is different than most other companies. Despite its monstrous success and growth the last few years, the company has not lost its focus on providing excellent experiences for its customers.

The Apple Store is the place where those experiences are made far better or far worse. Being on the front lines means gathering some great war stories. Stephen is here to share a few of his.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Apple, Ebooks

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2012

Reviews

[Mike Vardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The great thing about this book is that Hackett is able to craft his tales so that if you’ve ever worked in any retail environment, you’ll be able to relate. You’ll also get into the stories if you’re an Apple enthusiast. He’s managed to cross a chasm that can often be very wide between what many consider to be a unique shopping destination (The Apple Store) and any place where customer service takes place. Having worked at Costco, a lot of the types of things that Hackett talks about also occurred during my years at the wholesale giant, even though the products being dealt with were far different. So whether you’re an Apple fan or want to be able to hear different takes on stories you may have experienced yourself in retail, Hackett delivers in excellent fashion.

It’s a short read, which makes it easily digestible for anyone who’s got some time to sit down and read a few stories. I strongly believe that the electronic format of books still works best when the reading material is short. Hackett has trimmed out any excess fat in Bartending, and this serves the work well.

[Rob Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, as far as it goes. It's short. The few stories you get are interesting, but you're left wanting more. You get the impression that most of the work was mundane or repetitive, so Hackett didn't have tons of interesting material. Still, the stories he does tell are funny and entertaining and I'm glad I read it.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tech from the trenches and tales from the front lines of Apple Retail and Repair. Living the life of a computer tech, I enjoyed each tale of tragedy and triumph. It's a stressful world but a very satisfying one.
This book is a great, quick read that I found myself laughing along to and far too often nodding my head. I've been there. Great book. Highly recommended.

[Joe Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This "book" is a joke.

If this book cost 2 bucks, I would have been more charitable. It didn't.

It is a 50 page collection of ramblings of an Apple "Genius"

Skip this "book" & thank me later.

What a waste of my time; forget the money.

[Derek Choi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grabbed this quickly to read on a flight. Dusted it off in about an hour.

I was disappointed because I expected more pieces and it wasn't as edgy as I thought it potentially could've been.

Not much more to say really.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into working at Apple. Collection of stories and wisdom gained from his stint as an Apple Genius. A real look, not sugar-coated, of both Apple's strengths and weaknesses.

Also some really crazy stories that make you question humanity's future ...

[Martijn Engler · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit short, but a nice book. Gives some perspective on the life of a genius.

[Matthew Winship · Rating 1 out of 5]

waste of $9- I didn't learn anything that I didn't know, the stories that he tells aren't even very compelling either.

[Brian Grinter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little on the short side for the price, but an interesting read. Having done IT support I could relate to some of his stories.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather short.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Each of the handful of chapters could have been a blog post, and they weren't particularly well written or interesting. It reads like a resume or a job interview transcript. Skip it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a collection of anecdotal blog posts than a book.

[Alistair · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. Wish it was a bit longer though.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super short. Maybe I should stop buying books written by bloggers.

[Jmswtsn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not particularly well written, not particularly interesting, very short, overpriced. No insights. Big disappointment.

[Devanshu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of OK. Nothing novel, no Apple-specific insight. These stories could have come from any IT support department since the beginning of time.

[Karl · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointing, short and not very in-depth. I had expected/hoped for more introspective/thoughtful.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but entertaining. Worth the $1 I paid for it.

[Michael Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing groundbreaking to be learnt here.

But a nice few thoughts on what it's like to work retail.

As someone who spent 6 years with a similar company, it's not that different.

[Ammon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too arrogant, smug, and condescending for my taste.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read with some fun stories from working the Apple Genius bar.