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Inside Steve’s Brain by Leander Kahney, My Overdue Review

Note: I’ve wanted to write a review about Leander Kahney’s New York Times best selling book, Inside Steve’s Brain for a long time. Having just finished it for a second time, I thought now would be as good a time as any.

Steve Jobs, the name within itself is synonmous with Apple, the iPod, iPhone, cutting-edge innovation and devotion to perfection. The Apple CEO has become so mystifying, yet so culturally shape-shifting, that a sneak peak into his mind would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

With Inside Steve’s Brain, Wired News Editor Leander Kahney provides an accurate, honest and intriguing look into the mind behind one of the greatest innovators of all time. What separates this book from the vast mountains of Apple literature, is Kahney’s elegant approach to the narrative. The book is up-to-date, relevant and most importantly, factual. As a long time Jobs follower myself, I found Kahney’s deep knowledge of the subject immensely intriguing and engaging.

Many books have attempted to chronicle Jobs and Apple in the past, but none have come across quite as effortlessly interesting as Inside Steve’s Brain. Kahney is able to seamlessly weave together quotes, elements of Apple’s history, interviews and a deep understanding of the culture within a joyful, enjoyable read.

With respect to modern culture and what is happening now, Kahney refrains from delving too deeply into the past. After a brief jaunt through Jobs’ experience at NeXT, coming back to save Apple, and his relentless pursuit to perfect OS X, the book delves into the backend of Jobs’ brain, with rather intricate detail. Kahney’s passion clearly shines through in the book, yet his ability to stay focused is a major perk for the reader. When writing about a subject so culturally significant as the era of Apple and Steve Jobs, many writers have the tendency to get swept away in “passionate” rants and blurry details. Kahney, on the other hand, keeps the experience crisp, focused and to the point.

“At every turn of his career, Steve Jobs has inspired employees, lured software developers, and snagged customers by invoking a higher calling. For Jobs, programmers don’t work to make easy-to-use software; they’re striving to change the world. Apple’s customers don’t buy Macs to work on spreadsheets; they’re making a moral choice against the evil monopoly of Microsoft.”

The above quote is taken from chapter five, which is titled “Passion: Putting a Ding in the Universe.” It’s here that Kahney truly delves into the inner-workings of Steve Jobs. Showcasing how Apple has time and again fought against the grain, yet somehow manages to emerge on top, Kahney breaks down not only Jobs, but many of the top tier employees at Apple, providing a window into the enormously impressive braintrust that is Apple Inc.

Touching upon everything from life in Silicon Valley, Apple’s terrifying backdating scandal and Jobs’ alter-ego, the meat of the book contains an immense spread of information, all pieced together to create an informative, intelligent read.

Whether Jobs is saving a life’s worth of documents for his own memoirs or not, is still unconfirmed. But his lack of participation in the book isn’t shocking in the slightest. Even without a direct interview from Jobs, Kahney delivers home the essence of Apple, while weaving together an immense understanding of the culture. If you haven’t by now, pick up the book and give it a twirl.

[Inside Steve's Brain]