Reviews of the “Cult of…” Books

“Serious entertainment value.” –œVillage Voice, Oct., 2004 (Full review)

“Three weeks after its October 2004 release, The Cult of Mac”¦ returned to press after selling out its 10,000-copy first printing.” –œPublishers Weekly, Jan. 3, 2005 (Read article)

“Kahney embarked on his journey to chronicle the weird world of Mac addicts, and I think he nailed it.” –œSan Francisco Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2004 (Read More)

Winner: Outstanding Book of the Year — Most Unique Design, Independent Publisher Book Awards 2005. The Cult of Mac, by Leander Kahney; design by Octopod Studios.

“Sure to end up on Quadra-based coffee tables everywhere.” –œWired, October 2004

Cult of Mac earned a rare and prestigious “starred review” and was “highly recommended.” “Brimming with more than 500 color photos, this fun book won’t stay on the shelves long.” –œLibrary Journal, December 2004

“Leander Kahney’s coffee-table book, based on his stories for Wired News, documents the over-the-top behavior of these folks, only some of whom seem to be driven by the same nerdy demons as Trekkies.” –Newsweek, Feb. 21, 2005 (Full review)

“Connected to their machines like toddlers to teddy bears, some worshippers at the altar of Apple would sooner… give a defunct 128K Macintosh a second wind as a novelty goldfish tank than accept the popularly held belief that a computer becomes obsolete the moment it’s off the production line.” –Dwell Magazine, March 2005 (Read article)

“Kahney’s informal history of the Mac is interspersed with trivia and delightful details, and intriguing photos, and is wrapped up in an entertaining style”¦ one lots of people will enjoy reading.” –œWashington Times, Nov. 2004 (Read article)

“If your favorite Mac geek has every Mac-related doodad, try the compelling new book ‘The Cult of Mac.’ –œSan Antonio Express-News, Dec. 12, 2004 (Read article)

“We challenge you to open to any page and not learn something about the Mac’s history or its fanatical devotees.” MacAddict, January 2005

The Cult of Mac was a Macworld UK cover story: “Techno Fetishism and Apple Mania.” –MacWorld UK, November 2004

“Fun book that any Mac addict will delight in displaying if he can keep wiping the drool off the pages.” –œMacNN, December 2004 (Full review)

“A diverting, sometimes quirky and always entertaining study of why owning a Mac computer means contracting a passion for an inanimate object”¦ a lovely book, full of great pictures and written with insight, knowledge and wit.” –œThe Age, Feb., 2005 (Full review)

“Journalist Leander Kahney has made much of Macintosh fanaticism in recent years. His interest in the subject has spawned a column at Wired News, a blog and now a book: The Cult of Mac.” –œThe Guardian, Mad for Macs, Jan. 6, 2005 (Read article)

“I am not a Mac addict like the people found in Leander Kahney’s new book, The Cult of Mac (No Starch Press), but I am a recreational user and I can relate to the Mac addict’s plight; the only difference is that when I was discovering crack, they were finding OS 6. Oddly enough, I think over all my years of drugging, I still spent significantly less money than any really serious Mac addict.” –œPaper magazine, Dec. 21, 2004 (Full review)

Average Customer review: 4.5 out of 5 stars

10 out of 10 rating: “This book is priceless. Even if someone you know has no interest in ever obtaining an iPod, they’ll love this book. Curl up in your favorite chair, make a steeping hot cup of tea, put in your buds, hit shuffle and then relax for a wonderful read.” –Macsimum News, November 23, 2005 (Read more)

“Leander Kahney offers a book to use like an iPod. Readers can joyfully skim the contents, as if set on random, to snack on the eye-catching imagery of everything iPod. Or you can select a playlist, like the chapter on the making of the iPod, for deeper insight into the creative process at Apple Computer Inc.” –Chicago Tribune, November 26, 2005 (Read more)

“The book exudes quality from start to finish”¦ Besides its gorgeous design, the principal strength of the book is Kahney’s precise way of describing the iPod phenomenon and putting it into context, as well as his impressions of the experience of using the iPod itself.” CreativeMac, November 4, 2005 (Read more)

“Although I initially intended to skim through the book, I ended up reading this book cover to cover in a single sitting as it was so interesting, informative and entertaining.” –œAbout.com Focus on Macs, Dec., 2005 (Read more)

Average rating for Cult of iPod at Amazon a perfect five stars!

“It’s the perfect holiday gift for your iPod lover. There is great information about the development of the iPod, the enthusiasts, and the technology of the iPod itself. A fun read and a nice complement to the “Cult of Mac” book, which was also excellent.”

“This is possibly the best book ever written on the subject.” Digital Dispatch, January 24, 2005

“A great, colorful, easy read. It’s exceptional.” –œOutsideLeft, January 2005 (Read more)

“Here is one book I had to read from cover to cover, twice.” –œMetro Mac, May/June 2005 (Full review)

“Without a doubt one of the very best books about the Macintosh to have been published for many years.” –œApple Lust, Dec. 23, 2004 (Full review)

“This book is a rare item, and extremely well turned out.” –œEdmonton Linux User Group, May 2005 (Full review)

“This book knocks me out”¦ such a fun read that I’d recommend it to anyone.” –œAlaskan Apple Users Group, Dec. 4, 2004 (Full review)

“A very entertaining read.” –œBlogcritics, Dec. 29, 2004 (Full review)

“A well-written, enjoyable, informative, and entertaining account of Mac culture. It is a must-read for Mac lovers everywhere!” –œAbout.com, May 2005 (Full review)

“Beautifully done from a design and production standpoint”¦ does a great job of chronicling why people merely USE Windows machines, but LOVE Macs.” –œMacTech, April 2005

“I was hooked on the book from its introductory pages and was disappointed when I had to put it down to get on with my life – you know, sleep, eat, and get on with other responsibilities.” –œMacCompanion, January 2005 (Full review)

“The ultimate Mac-lover’s coffee table book.” –œBusiness In Vancouver, Dec. 14, 2004 (Read article)

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