Customer Reviews

The Cult of Mac (Paperback edition)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the first tech-themed coffee table book that I have seen, and it's a nice one. The book is laid out like a thick hard-covered version of Wired magazine. Thick with pictures and clever layout, with relatively sparse text.

There is a little something to love for almost any fringe Macintosh group or phenomenon. There is a section on tattoos, Apple wear, the iPod, the Newton. Another small section links the Mac to pot. And a very cool section shows prototype Macintoshs of the future designed by enthusiasts. Another interesting section analyses Macintoshes in movies and tv, where the good guy is always Mac and the bad guy always uses a PC.

This is not a serious history of the development of the Macintosh. Other books have covered that. The book rarely gets deep into issues. It's about a phenomenon. About defining the phenomenon and rallying behind it, as opposed to decomposing it. It's a fun, self-validating read for Mac lovers.

This would make a perfect Christmas gift for your favorite Mac enthusiast. And it may make a good read for any Windows lover who is puzzled by the cult-like Mac owners.

The Cult of Mac
By Leander Kahney
Publisher: No Starch Press
Price: 39.95 US
ISBN: 1886411832



I review quite a few computer books, most of which are technical how-tos and the like. I read a ton of other books, though, most of which are fiction or historical in nature. But the books reviewed here at MyMac.com are Mac focused books, most of which end up on a shelf before I donate them to the local library. So it was a pleasant surprise to find Leander Kahney's hard cover The Cult of Mac in my mailbox last week.

The Cult of Mac is a beautiful hard cover book with a slipcover. It has color pages throughout, and the text is clean, crisp, and easy to read. Not all books are presented in such loving detail as The Cult of Mac is. It really is a nice total package.

What is The Cult of Mac about? Writer Kahney explores many subjects that can fall into the "Mac Users Cult" umbrella, including subjects such as the Newton, people who collect old Macs, the Macworld Expos, and any other oddball Mac user story that Kahney found interesting.

The term "Cult" is not used in a derogatory manner here, even though the term does carry negative connotations. The term really comes from Kahney's Wired columns in which many of these stories originated. There were a few times while reading a particular story in this book that I remembered reading the same thing, albeit in an abbreviated form, on the Wired.com website.

Kahney hits upon many subjects, though usually the book is focused on the extreme examples or subjects. While each story presented here is true and honest, and Kahney makes no editorial judgments as to whether the behavior is out of the ordinary, he does seem to neglect some of the core Mac user experience and relationship to the platform.

Because this book was written over quite a few years, I found many instances of outdated information. For instance, in one story, Kahney writes about how Stan Flack is the publisher of MacCentral, even though he has not been for three years now. But later in the book, he writes about how MacCentral is owned by Macworld magazine. This suggests that older material was never rewritten or put into historical perspective to when the book was actually published. This is a little sloppy writing or editing in my opinion, but it works very well as a historical reference.

The dated material aside, this is a wonderful book to look at and read. Many of the stories are captivating, and made me want to look up more information online of the people he writes about in the book. Pictures abound in the book, including old Macs, the different paintings of Peter Cohen's head at Macworld Expos, and the fashions people wear at Macworld Tokyo. All good stuff!

This is one book I will set on my bookshelf and pull down from time to time to reread. This isn't a book you have to read in sequential order, as each chapter is an island unto itself. Written with detail in mind, The Cult of Mac is a large and ambitious project that was put together with loving care by the author.

MyMac.com rating: 5 out of 5
http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=1840

Reading the Cult of Mac was the most fun and interesting material I have read in a long time. Ever since buying my own 15" PowerBook G4 last July, I have joined what is nothing short of a cult-like group of people. Parts of the book use images to describe what it is like to be obsessed with the world's best computer company and do so, for the most part, completely void of text. (Please no comments on how Mac users think they're superior because that is ridiculous. P.S.: Where are the `XP fan books?) When I purchased the book, I was under the impression that not only would it portray how some people communicate feelings of their Mac ownership, but also give a fairly detailed description of the history of the legendary computer company. I was wrong. Don't be mistaken, the book does go fairly into depth regarding the computers manufactured by Apple in the company's beginning. It uses its coffee-table-book-like appearance for visual aid, examples and reinforcement of statements and creates a sort of "where are they now" type format; talking about what people are doing to keep first generation Apples alive, etc. However, there is no in depth analysis of the up and coming of the infamous two Steves - Jobs and Wozniak - the father figures of Apple. With the recent buzz over the release of Apple's fourth major installment to their OS X operating system, Tiger (following the line of big cat names), it is easy to see why so many people go to extreme lengths to show off their dedication to Macs. I would recommend this book to Mac users, new and old alike, as well as Windows users. The way I think of it, this book is the perfect way for XP-ers to really see what they're missing, and maybe make them a bit jealous while we're at it!

I simply cannot imagine anyone getting the Microsoft logo tatooed on their butt, but MacFreaks, yeah it figures. See page 57.

And what about the marketing study recently conducted by Chicago's DePaul University who researched the people who still use (and love) their Apple Newton's. (You can find Newton's on E-Bay for $150-200 if you want to join the group.)

This book is an unabashed love afair with the Mac. It's really a coffee table picture book about the Mac. From user group meetings to Jay Leno's Macquarium where the tube doesn't show pictures of fish but real ones, or paper models that you can use as Christmas tree ornaments; but why go on. By now you know the contents of this book. It's by MacPeople, about Mac's and for MacLovers.

It's a delight to see this book, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and has a lot of fun.

I have a confession to make. I am a cult member. My wife is a cult member. My kids will probably grow up to be cult members. How did I go about joining such a select group of cultist? I simply purchased a Macintosh. (My wife owns a Macintosh as well.) It is nice to be reminded why one joins a cult, intentionally or not, and that is what Leander Kahney does with his book the Cult of Mac.

Kahney does an excellent job detailing the quirky, unique, and even dark underside of the Macintosh computer users. His account is exhaustive, chronicling the tribute Mac users pay to the company and the platform. Kahney includes a look at the psycho-sexual attachment, the soft porn product tributes, box collectors, tattooist, Mac bongs, and other oddball and off beat ways Macintosh users honor their favorite computer platform. He describes the sub cult of Steve (Jobs) and Steve (Wozniak) and their influence on the company and Mac acolytes.

The book is fist and foremost a testament to the loyalty of the Macintosh community, it is a book of homage. It is well designed, to the point of being almost over designed. For those looking for a serious, academic look at the cult side of Macintosh users should look elsewhere. For those interested in a glossy overview of the quirks of Macintosh users will find this an interesting and quirky exploration of the world of the Mac cult.

My mother called me a few months ago from a book store in Cleveland, OH. "I'm looking at a picture of my son's Apple Tattoo in a book called 'The Cult of Mac'...did you know about this?" I just laughed. She read me a couple of lines from it, and I knew where it was from, and that this book would be something special. I sent a congratulatory email to Leander Kahney later that day.

The parts on me aside, this book is a lot of fun. It's great to look at the sub-culture that we Mac users are a part of. I've never seen someone with a 'Windows' sticker on their car, that someone races to catch up with to show them theirs. (I have the benefit of being able to flash a Tattoo!) Think when Longhorn is released that people will have 'cowboy' parties? Well...maybe, but for a different reason.

Seeing this great collection of everything from memorabilia to madness in one place is a treat. You can get a new Mac user up to speed in about 20min, and sufficiently freak them out...

Great book.

This book knocks me out. I've never been a huge fan of those "coffee table books," but I've gotta say that I'd put this one out on my coffee table, if I had one. From the front cover photo of the back of a shaved head, with the apple logo cut into it, to the amazingly designed chapter themes and photographs, this is one share-able book!

I've been a fan of the Macintosh since my first machine, back in 1994. I was a member of the EvangeList, which has a major part of a chapter devoted to it in this book. If you're a fan of Leander Kahney's writing for Wired, and a devotee (like me) of his Cult of Mac daily blog (weblog, for the uninitiated), you'll dig this book.

The design of the book is scrumptious. It has big glossy goodness in every page. The first page is a visual representation of the Mac start up chime, which is then followed by pages of the famous blue progress bar from Mac OS X 10.2, Jaguar. Each chapter shows a desktop, with a large window displaying the name of the chapter. The whole book is a tribute to the style of the mac interface, as well as the style and general cultishness of the mac community.

The book is divided into 5 sections: Macintosh Madness, Gatherings of the Clan, Incessant Tinkerers, Hoarders and Recyclers, and New Frontiers. Each one includes many smaller articles and essays on all things Macintosh and Apple. My favorite chapters include the one on the iPod, the chapter about old Macs and the collectors, and the chapter about Macs and the counterculture. Oh, yes, and the chapter about paper macintoshes. Get the book if you really want to know. :) I really enjoyed the long, essay style final chapter, entitled, "What Makes Mac Fans So Loyal?" The last is a moving piece, poetic and passionate, about why we all love our Macs so much, and the company that makes them.

This is a smash hit, if I've ever seen one. The writing is transparently wonderful, consistently easy to access, and kept me turning pages well past what I would have expected. The only small issue I had was some repetition in different parts of the book about the same thing. this is attributable to the fact that much of the Macintosh "content" is connected in many different ways.

Overall, this book is a knockout. It's artistic, concerns a subject near and dear to my heart, and was such a fun read that I'd recommend it to anyone. Buy it, share it, and put it on your coffee table!

I got this book as a gift from my wife and I love it.

I am a Mac addict and I have been using Mac for ever. I love this book because it gives very interesting stories about the Mac from a non-techy point of view.

I believe this is a great gift for someone who loves his Mac. However, it may be a little boring for someone who does not have a true passion for his Mac.

Enjoy your Mac.

Donald

It's about time we saw a book on the cult of the Mac - especially one as beautiful as the Mac itself.

This book perfectly captures the force behind Apple - its fervent followers. Longtime Mac writer Leander Kahney gives readers an inside look at Mac culture around the world. Want to see a collection of Mac tattoos, haircuts, and a bong fashioned out a compact Mac SE? It's all here. But this book is also a walk through computing history. You'll learn how Apple was largely responsible for starting "evangelist marketing," why the old PowerBook 2400 is so universally adored, and how much an empty, original Mac 128k cardboard box sold for on eBay recently (more than you'd expect). This book is beautifully designed, with high production values and thick, glossy, four-color pages.

Over the years, I've seen plenty of "Why Apple is doomed to fail" business books and the occasional nasty Steve Jobs biography. But this is the first book that captures the essence of what it means to be a Mac user. It's compulsively readable, and a joy to flip through. If I hadn't bought a copy for myself, i would have demanded a copy for Christmas.

Buy it. Love it.

Few products acquire such fierce loyalty like the Mac. Fewer products inspire the creative juices and desire to "think different" than the Mac does. If you've just sighed or harrumphed quietly to yourself (you know who you are) then you need to a) lighten up and b) peruse the pages of this book... Come over to the Mac side... It'll be our little secret... =)

Beautifully creative and artistic, full color pages end to end. The book reveals in "coffee table format" a little history, a number of confessions, and plenty of portraiture from the birth of the Mac to the present day. My favorite chapter discusses the "Fantasy Macs". Mac devotees all over the world design and publish incredibly innovative and fanciful images of imaginary (and sometimes not so imaginary) Macs.

A must have for the True Mac user. For the rest, a little taste of what you've been missing out on for the last twenty years.