Kahney, a journalist for Wired News (www. wired.com), goes inside the psyche of fervent Mac fans everywhere, examining various aspects of the Apple underground. Presenting himself as an example of someone obsessed with possessing the latest Apple product, he writes about the psychosexual bond that Macintosh users have with their machines. It gets weirder: there is a cult of Mac Classic collectors who claim that owning said model is like owning a hot rod-it's impractical but cool. Another counterculture invented the "iBong" to celebrate the utopian nature of Apple computing. The Mac has even inspired haircuts and tattoos, to which Kahney devotes one chapter. In addition, readers will find stories of Apple cofounders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs and basic background on the benefits of Mac ownership for those who work in the arts, music, and filmmaking. Brimming with more than 500 color photos, this fun book won't stay on the shelves long. Highly recommended for public libraries.-Joe Accardi, Harper Coll. Lib., Palatine, IL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
"Kahney has captured the breadth of the phenomenon in a compelling and visually appealing volume without taking the subject or himself too seriously... will entertain anyone interested in how one corner of technology and design has influenced society. Even devoted PC users will find the Mac culture described here amusing and enlightening."
—North Coast Mac Users Group, February 2008
"Easy to read with plenty of full colour images throughout, this would be a perfect gift for the Mac fan in your life or anyone interested in learning more about the culture surrounding the Mac. Essentially this book is an insightful and fantastic celebration."
—IT Wales, December 13, 2006
"If you love your Mac, you'll love this book."
—On Computers, December 11, 2006
Named Best Book of 2005
—MacGuide New Zealand, January/February 2006
"By the end of the book, I was completely won over — and proud to be a member of this obsessive, cultish clan."
—MacGuide New Zealand, January/February 2006
“Does an excellent job of documenting the breadth of the community.”
—TechWorld, August 3, 2005
“There is some awesome photography and layout. The aesthetic of the book actually reminds me of Mac—sleek and refined. It doesn't clutter the pages with unnecessary garble; instead, it reaches a lovely balance of beauty and function.”
—Jive Magazine, July 12, 2005
"In short, this book is the answer to those who ask you why you eat, sleep, live and breathe Macintosh, why you have so many Mac T-shirts, and why you haven't thrown out a piece of software since 1998."
—Metro Mac, May/June 2005
"This book is a rare item, and extremely well turned out... certainly worth a day or two of summer browsing or as a feature coffee table item for some."
—Edmonton Linux User Group, May 2005
"A well-written, enjoyable, informative, and entertaining account of Mac culture. It is a must-read for Mac lovers everywhere!"
—About.com, May 2005
"Beautifully done from a design and production standpoint... does a great job of chronicling why people merely USE Windows machines, but LOVE Macs."
—MacTech, April 2005
"Apple's award-winning designs have inspired a dedicated following of creative technophiles—and it seems Wired News reporter Kahney has met them all."
—SciTech Book News, March 2005
"Connected to their machines like toddlers to teddy bears, some worshippers at the altar of Apple would sooner... give a defunct 128K Macintosh a second wind as a novelty goldfish tank than accept the popularly held belief that a computer becomes obsolete the moment it's off the production line."
—Dwell Magazine, March 2005
"Leander Kahney's coffee-table book, based on his stories for Wired News, documents the over-the-top behavior of these folks, only some of whom seem to be driven by the same nerdy demons as Trekkies."
—Newsweek, Feb. 21, 2005
"A diverting, sometimes quirky and always entertaining study of why owning a Mac computer means contracting a passion for an inanimate object... a lovely book, full of great pictures and written with insight, knowledge and wit."
—The Age (Australia), Feb. 10, 2005
"It is a lovely book, full of great pictures and written with insight, knowledge and wit."
—The Age (Melbourne), Feb. 10, 2005
"The best—and most frightening—aspects of our devotion... it's all here."
—Macworld, "Hot Stuff," February 2005
"You'll have little problem spotting the well-done collection on the bookstore shelves: The cover features the back of a head with the Apple logo shaved into the hair."
—Lakeland (FL) Ledger, Jan. 30, 2005
"My enthusiasm compares nothing to Kahney who wrote this beautiful book The Cult of Mac."
—Hindustan Times, Jan. 26, 2005
"This is possibly the best book ever written on the subject... will delight you to the max with solid research amazing photo layouts and of course all the facts and stories you can read."
—Digital Dispatch, Jan. 24, 2005
"Reading The Cult of Mac has been like joining a support program for Apple addicts—everybody shares their story, together we plumb the depths of fanaticism and the extremity of our love for all things Mac."
—Crown Dozen, Jan. 20, 2005
"It's a delight to see this book, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and has a lot of fun."
—Books-On-Line, Jan. 19, 2005
"Openly celebrates the lives of Apple's evangelistic, obsessive, demanding, and, most of all, loyal fans, who would just as soon shave an Apple logo on their head as look at you."
—Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, Jan. 10, 2005
"Owning it will make you call out to officemates who love Macs, 'Hey, get a load of this!'"
—Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 10, 2005
