Inside Apple

How America's Most Admired - and Secretive - Company Really Works

By: Adam Lashinsky

Narrated by: Adam Lashinsky

Audie Award Nominee, Business and Educational, 2013

Inside Apple reveals the secret systems, tactics, and leadership strategies that allowed Steve Jobs and his company to churn out hit after hit and inspire a cult-like following for Apple products.

If Apple is Silicon Valley's answer to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, then author Adam Lashinsky provides listeners with a golden ticket to step inside. In this primer on leadership and innovation, the author introduces concepts like the "DRI" (Apple's practice of assigning a Directly Responsible Individual to every task) and the Top 100 (an annual ritual in which 100 up-and-coming executives were tapped, à la Skull Bones, for a secret retreat with company founder Steve Jobs).

Based on numerous interviews, the book offers exclusive new information about how Apple innovates, deals with its suppliers, and is handling the transition into the Post Jobs Era. Lashinsky, a senior editor-at-large for Fortune, knows the subject cold: In a 2008 cover story for the magazine, entitled "The Genius Behind Steve: Could Operations Whiz Tim Cook Run The Company Someday?" he predicted that Tim Cook, then an unknown, would eventually succeed Steve Jobs as CEO.

While Inside Apple is ostensibly a deep dive into one, unique company (and its ecosystem of suppliers, investors, employees and competitors), the lessons about Jobs, leadership, product design and marketing are universal. They should appeal to anyone hoping to bring some of that Apple magic to their own company, career, or creative endeavor.

©2012 Adam Lashinsky (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Must listen if you love Apple products

If you could sum up Inside Apple in three words, what would they be?

Revealing - Detailed - Eye Opening

What was one of the most memorable moments of Inside Apple?

You get to know the stuff you never hear in great detail.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Back stage at Apple...

Any additional comments?

Loved the book. Especially complements the Steve Jobs biography.

Excellent

If you could sum up Inside Apple in three words, what would they be?

New material, respectful but honest.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jobs and Cook

Have you listened to any of Adam Lashinsky’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

An outsider's view with an insider's access.

Excellent on all levels

Held my attention from beginning to end. The narration was engaging and the information was interesting and useful.

Solid Reporting

Lashinsky does a nice, balanced job of reporting on Apple. Of course, the problem is that Apple is so secretive that it is really difficult to get "inside." I'm not sure there is a lot that is new here, but it is very well-packaged. The book is very timely and contains a lot of material about the transition from the Steve Jobs era. Having listened to the book, I have a lot less faith that Apple will be able to make the transition in the long run.

Great performance, content mostly old Apple news

Would you listen to Inside Apple again? Why?

Gave me insight into secretive nature of Apple and I enjoyed the opining of Apple's future post Jobs.

Would you be willing to try another book from Adam Lashinsky? Why or why not?

yes, Nice writing style

What does Adam Lashinsky bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Pleasant voice and delivery.

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

Most of the book was covered in other books on Apple.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend a listen.

Maybe I'm a fanboy, but

What did you like best about Inside Apple? What did you like least?

I don't trust what he says because he makes claims that I know are untrue. For example, he poo poos Apple's claims of theft by android by claiming Jobs stole from Xerox Parc. Jobs paid to see Xerox's technology, and he used it to make wonderful products that Xerox would never have made. Lanshinsky says the

What do you think your next listen will be?

Midnight's Children

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Would a Trekkie go to the next Star Trek movie?

Maybe I'm a fanboy, but

What did you like best about Inside Apple? What did you like least?

I don't trust what he says because he makes claims that I know are untrue. For example, he poo poos Apple's claims of theft by android by claiming Jobs stole from Xerox Parc. Jobs paid to see Xerox's technology, and he used it to make wonderful products that Xerox would never have made. Lanshinsky says the

What do you think your next listen will be?

Midnight's Children

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Would a Trekkie go to the next Star Trek movie?

Fascinating read (or listen) about Apple

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Great insight in to the mysterious and infrequently publicized culture inside Apple

Who was your favorite character and why?

Steve Jobs of course

Have you listened to any of Adam Lashinsky’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

the magic of execution

Terrific inside look at how Apple gets it done. Beyond the awesome products, its process of building and launching these gems is very unlike the other tech giants. Adam Lashinsky does a great job telling the story in very understandable terms. He has pretty good narrator chops too.

Great coverage without the hype

What made the experience of listening to Inside Apple the most enjoyable?

The fact that it was done so well, covered so much ground, got into the personal and professional details of the story without getting caught in the hype, was very impressive. This book didn't just tell an important story, it provided useful information that can be dissected, argued about, and contribute to our understanding of the tapestry that is today's business and management environment.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I didn't have one specific character that was my favorite. In fact, most of the characters seem like they are hard to know -- a little mysterious -- which probably adds to the allure of the overall story. Nothing quite so appealing as a little mystery.

Which character – as performed by Adam Lashinsky – was your favorite?

None in particular

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Once I got going, it was hard to put down.

Any additional comments?

One of the best books about business that I have gone through.