Apple - by Pogue (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book lavishly illustrates the first 50 years of Apple's history through stunning, full-color photographs.

Instant New York Times Bestseller

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 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.

On April 1, 1976, two scruffy twentysomethings, both named Steve, founded a startup. Their goal: To bring the revolutionary power of computers to everyone.

Over the next five decades, Apple reshaped the technology and cultural landscapes, introducing the public to breakthroughs like the mouse, laser printing, CD-ROM, WiFi, digital video, home networking, touchscreen phones, and tablets. Jobs's obsessive eye for detail set the stage for products--Mac, iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch--that married advanced technology with beauty, simplicity, and fine design.

Deeply researched, Apple: The First 50 Years includes new interviews with 150 key people who made the journey, including Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Jony Ive, and many current designers, engineers, and executives. The book busts long-held myths; goes backstage for both the titanic successes (450 million iPods, 700 million iPads, 2.2 billion iPhones) and the instructive failures (Lisa, Apple III, MobileMe); and assesses the forces that challenge Apple's dominance as it enters its second half century.

Bursting with tales of frenetic all-nighters, engineering genius, and creative rebellion, this book is a true testament to Apple's unique and innovative vision, and a must read for anyone whose life Apple has touched.

Review Quotes

"The most in-depth, well-researched, and well-written tome on Apple's history." --Forbes

"While tech media tends to focus on hot new products and strong personalities, Mr. Pogue's book is resolutely a biography of Apple Inc. itself--one of the most distinctive characters in American business history...To write a biography of a corporation that has lived numerous lives in its 50 years is a huge task, and Mr. Pogue's easy style fits with the enthusiastic culture that has surrounded Apple's products from the very beginning." --Wall Street Journal

"A richly illustrated history of the computer giant as it enters its sixth decade...Just the thing for MacHeads, especially collectors of Apple goodies over the years." --Kirkus

"It's just the right amount of detail and depth...an easy and highly entertaining read. And there are hundreds of full-color pictures. Apple: The First 50 Years is now the definitive all-encompassing book for anyone interested in the company that changed the world--at least three separate times." --Cult of Mac

"Written in a conversational voice and punctuated with throwback photos of people, products and events, plus intriguing text boxes highlighting key players and groundbreaking ideas that influenced the evolution of personal computing." --AARP

"As a person who was inside the washing machine when the washing machine was running, I learned a shitload of stuff about the company I was at. I had no idea!...I am telling you: Everybody who uses an Apple product, and cares about Apple, you absolutely should read this definitive history of Apple. You gotta read this book." --Guy Kawasaki

"The reason Pogue has endured is that he speaks to a very specific audience: human beings. He knows how not to get bogged down in obsessive detail, and he revels in all the cool stuff as much as we do. In his hands, Apple's 50-year journey can be enjoyed by the casual observer as well as those who have followed the company for decades. Given Pogue's professional history, it's as if his entire career led to this book." --Ken Segall, author of the "Think Different" ad

"The book is nothing short of an instant classic -- simultaneously a very enjoyable read, and a meticulously-researched reference for the decades to come...a gorgeous book, printed in color throughout. Just a remarkable, essential, and unique work. If you haven't ordered a copy, you should." --John Gruber, Daring Fireball

About the Author

David Pogue is a seven-time Emmy Award winner for his stories on CBS Sunday Morning, a five-time TED speaker, host of twenty NOVA specials on PBS, and a New York Times bestselling author. He's written about Apple for his entire career, including thirteen years as a Macworld columnist, thirteen more as tech columnist for The New York Times, and twenty years as the #1 bestselling author of books about Macs and iPhones. He lives with his family in New York.