Inside Steve's Brain
Leander Kahney

Book Review

Inside Steve's Brain by Leander Kahney

Reviewed by Marty Vanags

Mercurial, prone to temper and mean are just a few of the words used to describe Steve Jobs, the impresario of Apple Computers. But, just so you are not biased, here are few more: brilliant, sage, genius. And just to confuse the matter, here are a few more: anti-materialistic, Buddhist, generous.  So one can see why a book had to be written called Inside Steve's Brain . Written by Leander Kahney, who has also authored two other books about Apple, The Cult of Mac and The Cult of iPod. This book provides insight into the world of Apple, and Mr. Kahney understands (probably more than anyone) how Steve Job's brain, psyche and everyday world work. Now, thanks to the author, so do we. The book is an easy read at 268 pages not including notes. Kahney, a reporter for WIRED magazine, has reported on Apple and Jobs for the past decade.

So, what is it about Steve's brain that we need to know so much about so? Obviously, there are other great business minds that deserve credit for being geniuses; are there not?  Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Jack Welch and others have either written books or have had their management and business practices well-documented over the years; therefore, we can dismiss them. As a society we are already well aware of their abilities and practices, foibles and idiosyncrasies.  But not Steve Jobs. "Steve," as people call him in Apple and how I will refer to him in the rest of this review, is different. Steve is quiet and almost reclusive, according to the author, and is not prone to outward bursts of information unless, of course, he is rolling out a new Apple product or on the stage of Macworld "being the company." The book helps us to understand that more than anyone in the world, Steve is Apple and Apple is Steve. Can this be said about Bill Gates or Buffet or the others previously mentioned and their respective companies? Certainly; but Steve more so, and the book gets into details of why.

It is easy to talk to an avid Apple user and get them to tell you why the product is a superior piece of technology. All my friends either use Apple at home or for their profession. The book I read was actually given by me to my friend who is a graphic artist and also provides professional services to my organization.  It was the best Christmas gift I could have given him because I know how much he loves Apple products and technology. Of course, I borrowed his copy to do this review.  Kahney explains why Apple users love their products, and to some extent love Steve, sometimes to a fault. The book is an insider view to how Steve has mesmerized and lulled its fan base into believing his product is the only product they need to be entertained and productive.

Not to say that Apple products aren't superior in many ways; and unlike many books about Apple and Steve, the author makes it a point to spell out some hiccups and missteps along the way that may have prevented Apple from being even greater than it is. Kahney spends almost as much time in the book outlining the progress of certain projects as much as he spends inside Steve's brain. Some chapters have themes that most business people have been taught don't work in a corporate setting or when one is trying to grow a business: Despotism, Perfectionism, Elitism. In Steve's case, they do work.  Countering these chapters and their narratives are the other chapter headings of Focus, Passion and Inventive Spirit. These do work in many settings and should be traits of Steve we admire and imitate.

The author describes how Apple is a flat organization. There are thousands of people in the company and yet a fairly small executive corps. Steve is prone to delving into any product, any meeting and any project without any notice, warning or courtesy. He is likely to call people stupid, bozo or scream at them in front of other colleagues. Some if it is calculated, most of it is not. Yet, according to the book, employees stay committed and loyal to a fault and mostly because the company is permeated with a mission bigger even than Steve. This mission is to enhance the lives of people. Overall, no matter what Steve does, he believes that is the underlying reason Apple should stay in business. How many of us can say that about the organization we work for? I once worked in a similar organization. In my case, the organization I worked for was structured similarly, with 250 employees reporting to only two owners/partners. One partner was prone to acting like Steve, yelling at you one minute, making you a hero the next. Unfortunately, in my case, enriching the lives of people was not the underlying mission of the company so very little or no loyalty existed.

Inside Steve's Brain is a fascinating look at not only Steve, but how a company who seemingly had seen its best days was resurrected by one individual with a unique way of developing products. As many know, and which is described in detail in the book, Steve was ousted from his company only to come back asserting more power and control than in his previous stint. In Steve's company one will rarely find a product focus group. Steve is a one-man focus group. Steve is so well-informed that he is thought of as some type of sage. How is it that Apple can create products that everyone wants and "needs"?

A great example is the development of the iPod. The iPod was developed rather quickly and only after Steve realized that Sony was failing to capture the electronic digital music industry. Sony revolutionized portable music some years back with the Sony Walkman. Sony was positioned, from a credibility, product and technology standpoint, to capture the market with digital music. Steve, noticing that they were not moving fast enough, capitalized on the market and developed the iPod in less than nine months. Using off-the-shelf technology, Apple pieced the first product together, introduced it in 2001 and has been modifying it every six months or so while riding a wave of popularity and sales.

Steve Jobs may not be a model of organizational leadership as defined by business school books, but he is a fascinating study in perseverance, knowledge and thought. I have heard the term "thought leaders" a lot lately, particularly when it comes to the world of social media and the Internet. There are lots of thought leaders out there selling their "ideas." This obviously has some value, but turning them into products that "enhance people's lives," the cause and mission of Apple and Steve Jobs, is rarely done.  This book captures the essence of Steve, Apple and the ability of one company to take a thought and turn it into a product.

I recommend this book for anyone who is not totally familiar with the Apple culture, the history of the company and the mind of Steve. It is especially good for those who are not part of the Apple nation and slog away with ugly user interfaces on lowly PC's.  I'm not sure I like Steve Jobs at this point (and I don't think that was the purpose of this book), but I certainly am fascinated by him and am interested in seeing how Apple fares without him, for that day is coming. Will someone at Apple take his place? Can they develop products and marketing the same way Steve has done for these many years? We will see. In the meantime, pick up this book and read about one of the most fascinating and successful characters of our modern industrial age.