Jony Ive

The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products

By: Leander Kahney

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The best-selling author of Inside Steve's Brain profiles Apple's legendary chief designer, Jonathan Ive.

Jony Ive's designs have not only made Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world; they've overturned entire industries, from music and mobile phones to PCs and tablets.

But for someone who has changed the world as much as he has, little is widely known about Apple's senior vice president of industrial design. Unlike his former boss and creative partner Steve Jobs, Ive shuns the spotlight. Naturally shy and soft-spoken, he lets his work speak for itself and concerns himself only with his craft.

In the first book to focus on Ive, Leander Kahney offers a rigorous and systematic examination of a remarkably creative career and provides insight into the principles underlying Ive's success.

Having covered Apple as an editor since the 1990s and interviewed Ive on numerous occasions, Kahney offers a unique perspective on how this man designs killer products that attract fanatically loyal customers.

©2013 Leander Kahney (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"An adulating biography of Apple’s left-brained wunderkind, whose work continues to revolutionize modern technology.” (Kirkus Reviews)

All about Jonny Ive’s work life

This is what I wish all biographies were, which is about the underlying pertinent details about their upbringing, but mainly about their work, how they thought about things, and what they did. After all, why not focus on what was so valuable that they brought to the world, instead of common human events? This book was awesome for understanding Jony Ive with his industrial design as well as Steve Jobs to a degree, about how he ran Apple.

The gap size on an iPhone between glass and bezel was decided by facial hair not getting caught in it during testing

Not a single thing - absolutely excellent use of time - well worth the time for a shift in perspective.

Too much an Apple story

Having an design background I had hoped to hear a lot more detail about Jony Ive’s personal life. This is the genius behind so many Apple products and who was revered by Steve Jobs but sadly the book seems to race through his early years and of the thinking of all the award winning designs we get only a glimpse of the mind of the man. The book reads more as an overview than a biography.

Great book

Would you listen to Jony Ive again? Why?

Yes, a lot of interesting background information.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jony

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

His English accent is just more appropriate for a book about an English designer.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

I have read biographies of Steve Jobs as well as Steve Wozniak. Being interested in the history of the company and having owned many of their products I was interested in learning more about Sir Ive. Knowing he does not grant interviews ( including the author ) I was concerned this would be a hindrance to a good biography. But I was wrong: this is an excellent book and I would recommend it for the insight it gives both to Sir Ive as well as product design in our era.

Best

More real and more in keeping why we are fans. Love the telling of both the Jony story but also more of the Apple story.

Ive is writing his own monograph

Not a biography as such more about industrial design and how it has changed Apple and the industry as a whole.

Very interesting reading.

OK, but not compelling

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. I am more interested in the person than all the technical background on products and design. It was big on technical and short on depth re Jony Ive as a person.

Great book

Great book. No complaints. Definitely a good listen if you are interested in Ive's story or care about design, past and present.

Wonderful backstory to the success at Apple

I've always known that Apple was way more than just Steve Jobs but this book made me realize the importance of innovators and The creative minds on a team, without Jony Ive Apple would not be what it is today. Just as jobs transformed the world through his drive and relentless passion for perfection.Jony Ive was able to make his vision a reality. Love the audiobook and appreciate how well this was written.

a bit repetitive but a good look into Apple

I had know idea of the people behind the creativity in apple. now I feel I understand where Apple's ingenuity came from. the reader is a bit passive and tends to put you to sleep. the writer repeats himself way too much