Tim Cook

The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level

By: Leander Kahney

Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Tim Cook, by Leander Kahney.  

In 2011, Tim Cook took on an impossible task - following in the footsteps of one of history's greatest business visionaries, Steve Jobs. Facing worldwide scrutiny, Cook (who was often described as shy, unassuming and unimaginative) defied all expectations. Under Cook's leadership Apple has soared: its stock has nearly tripled to become the world's first trillion-dollar company. 

From the massive growth of the iPhone to new victories like the Apple Watch, Cook is leading Apple to a new era of success.   

But he's also spearheaded a cultural revolution within the company. Since becoming CEO, Cook has introduced a new style of management that emphasises kindness, collaboration and honesty and has quietly pushed Apple to support sexual and racial equal rights and invest heavily in renewable energy.   

Drawing on authorised access with several Apple insiders, Kahney, the world's leading reporter on Apple, tells the inspiring story of how one man attempted to replace the irreplaceable and succeeded better than anyone thought possible.

©2019 Leander Kahney (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Great partner book to Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs

Wasn't sure at first but I have now listened to it several times and absolutely love it.
Great partner book to Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson, the book effectively tells the other half of the story or at least another perspective on what went on behind the Iron Curtain of Apple.
Steve Jobs had the vision and intelligence to surround himself with great people and Tim Cook is clearly a genius who also proved that you can get to top by not being an A-Hole.
Excellent book and one I will continue to listen to over and over.

Things you don't know about Tim

If you compare Tim Cook with Steve Jobs on an innovation vision, Tim has an unfair disadvantage. However, the book describes how Tim saved Apple twice. First during the late '90s by turning around the supply chain problems and then again during the post-Steve era by taking the company to an unimaginable height.
This book lacks drama but gives an excellent rundown on Tim Cooks contribution as CEO. His stand for data privecy, green policies and diversity are very well explained.
A must-read if you are an Apple fan but don't know Tim's contribution post-2011.

One dimensional and more than a tad shallow

One dimensional love fest of the new apple and I say this having read ten Apple books from 2004. Ignores a balanced viewpoint of minding the store. Tim did a amazing job of getting 12 million iphones to market at once with zero leaks on iPhone 4, 5 et al.
It ciould be argued that making a larger screened iphone that Steve would not allow, getting the last major carrier contract with China telecom and one billion subscribers was picking low hanging fruit.
The watch may be bigger than Rolex, but so is VW to Rolls Royce.
This may be right, or it may not be, witness the huge sales increase garnished by these strategies. But the "I never knew I needed that until I saw that" is still missing
The author ignores the slowing/reversing iPhone sales and when comparing with Microsoft mentions only Steve Balmore and not Sasha porting direction to the cloud and growing Microsoft immensely, not to mention porting office to subscription way before Apple used this technique.
I would have loved to know how Tim rise up through the ranks in Apple and achieved the magical operational delivery schedule of new product.
Instead its just a gushing love feast with little detailed anedoctes probably as no one in senior apple management and in particular Tim speak to the author.
Disappointing, shallow and really awful narration where everything single thing is emphasised and as such nothing is emphasised.

Just a story about how Apple is great

Not a great deal about Tim Cook, full of stats about Apple, and how great they are at changing the world. Don’t waste your money.

It's basically an ad for apple.

I won't be surprised if Tim has paid for this book.
it says only good things about him

Love Apple but ....

As biographies go this seems more like a polished Apple pitch than warts and all . I’m sure Tim has some faults ..... ? You won’t find them here so maybe he is just perfect . Looking forward to an “auto”

Repetitive and no insight knowledge

Book quotes public statements to inform and otherwise boring listing of achievements of Cook. A quick read on wikipedia is more informative than this book that has been stretched into 8 hours

Never met Tim Cook!

Very factual but nothing you don’t already know from the general everyday press.

The author never met Tim Cook so the book is based on news reports and very loose acquaintances.

Might be better is the reader/narrator didn’t put on such a silly irritating voice.

Do not listen too unless you haven’t read the tech news for the last 5 years, no lessons about business here.

Soulless and plagued with quotes from people you’ve never heard of

I was really disappointed by this book. It’s crammed full of quotes and references from people you’ve literally never heard of. A lot of the ‘facts’ are also followed by “its believed” and “it could be said”, leaving me wondering how much of it is even true.

If you’re an Apple fan you will already know 90% of what this book covers and if you’re not an Apple fan I guess you wouldnt want to read it anyway.

The narrator is also really rebotic and lacking in any emotion. Overall one of the worst Apple Books I’ve read.

Bland with glimmers of insight

-Overly heavy on statistics which seem to pad out every chapter. For me, the narration unenthusiastic and not really engaging, although well enunciated.
-Nothing particularly new.

Insightful, real and inspiring

Insightful, real and inspiring loved it. Would listen it again!
Would recommend it to all ages.

Fantastic insight into Tim Cook

A very enjoyable insight into Tim Cook's life and tenure as CEO at Apple. Well worth a listen.