Do you think that you love Apple and are passionate about their products? This book is all about the passion and the ways in which people show their devotion. You might dye your hair one week a year, or have a logo cut into it, but those efforts quickly return to "normal." This book details arguably the largest subculture in computing: The Mac Faithful. Where an Apple logo tattoo is not unusual.

Contents:
Part 1: Macintosh Madness. Techno Fetishism, Macs and the Counterculture, Worshipping the Two Steves, Mac Tattoos and Haircuts, Macspotting, Mac Evangelism, The Mac Web.
Part 2: Gatherings of the Clan. Tales of MacWorld, Macs in Japan.
Part 3: Incessant Tinkerers. Macquariums, Fantasy Macs, Hardware Mods, Paper Macs.
Part 4: Hoarders and Recyclers. Mac Collectors and Collectibles, Antique Macs.
Part 5: New Frontier. iPod, What Makes Mac Fans So Loyal?
Index

The Cult of Mac, by Leander Kahney, is an amazing book on an interesting part of the computer world. While you may be put off by the use of the word "cult" in the title, make no mistake, Leander means this is in a loving way. His chapters focus on one aspect concerning "Macheads," from the simple Apple logo sticker, to tattoos, to collecting boxes, to the prevalence of the iPod, and beyond. Each chapter is well written and includes many colorful pictures of the subject matter. As you can tell from the contents, Kahney spends time on many topics, allowing the principals to share their story. Some of the subjects may be hard to rationalize (which is the point, I think), but Kahney allows them to their needed time which only adds to the colorful Mac culture.

I picked this book up specifically to see the extremes of the Mac faithful. Yes, it does deliver those examples but without any editorial comments. Kahney presents these people as they are, and allows the reader to make their own judgements. However, somewhere along the way, I was struck by what this book delivers to the casual Mac user as well as people outside of the Mac culture. Kahney shows how many of these Mac faithful give up their time to sell, without any compensation, Apple products in big box stores, like CompUSA (you can see that some of the information is a little dated). But think about that - would anyone do the same for a Windows machine? Or any other personal computer? The chapter on Hardware Mods is one of my favorite. Kahney presents people that turn their Macs into gorgeous works of art. Or creating a Mac product where none exists (like a Mac-based Web pad fashioned out of a touch screen iBook). I could continue to expound on this book, as there are many reasons that I like it. Suffice it to say that this is an excellent book.

If you have one of the Mac faithful in your midst, this would make an excellent gift. If you don't use a Mac or if you can't understand why people fuss over the Apple brand, this book will provide you with many of the answers. You will not get a history of Apple from this book, but you will get a fascinating look into the Apple faithful.

'The Cult Of Mac' is a Mac fans ultimate guide to learn about the legions of people around the world who not only enjoy their Mac but LOVE their Mac. Packed with 260+ pages of full-color shots, this shows all the praise that people have in the form of tattoos, artwork, detailing, etc etc etc!

The first word that came to mind when skimming through this is the word FUN. Every page turn, every picture it's just a whole lot of fun and anyone that either likes or is a macaddict, this is a very entertaining book.

MACTABULOUS!!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This was a great book about the people that make up the Mac cultsa round the world.

The Cult of Mac
By Leander Kahney
Publisher: No Starch Press
Price: 39.95 US
ISBN: 1886411832

I was delighted when I was given a copy of this book to read and review. Not only is it about something I LOVE..... it is written so that even my parents would understand my passion. A lovely coffee-table book, this 260+ page book is a visual treat, with many pictures of our beloved machines, and the fans who buy them. You won't find a detailed look into Apple, Inc. This is about us, the users. The chapters are focused on specific traits, or habits of the Macintosh community. And while we all KNOW why we love our Macs, this book will help others learn, and perhaps make the switch.

There are also many little known factoids, and a full chapter devoted to the Japanese obsession for Macintosh computers. Many will remember, and perhaps still have, the holiday ornament that looks like an all-in-one classic. Fans have made replicas out of cardboard and paper for decades. Some even use the packing boxes as furniture.

One of the things about this book that readers may like, is that the chapters can be read in any sequence. The topics are as individual as our users, and no strict order is required. Read about what interests you. There are references enough to follow on your own, so if you are interested in digging deeper, you can.

While some of the material is obviously dated already, this is not about the latest and greatest, but about the phenomenon of the Apple user. One word that stands out in many of the chapters is "community". The author stresses many times how incredibly loyal Macintosh fans are, in spite of the wide range of users. From tattooed bikers, to captains of industry, no barrier is too high, or wide, or deep to make any appreciable separation between Macheads.

Not to sound trite, but this is a "must have" kind of book. And it looks great with any décor.........

When your family asks you why you have a Mac, this book
explains it for you. We are unique in our view of life. The fact that
our cult is different is just fine with us. The text covers the roots
of the Mac experience, the skin ink, the haircuts, the car art, the
mods we have done, the inspirations we share with the creators
within Apple. We offer up our ideas for the next big thing freely,
hoping to become some small part of the process by posting on
discussion boards and rumor sites for those already at Apple
to notice.
But, this book goes even further. It recalls how every person who
buys a Mac, receives so much more than just a machine to do a
particular task. They receive a new pathway into a future. One
where some will find joy in the special thought that went into the
packaging the Mac was shipped in. We will throw a party for the
unwrapping of that new Mac and then take photos to share with
friends who were absent that day. Others will save the packaging
for later or build something out of the box. Get enough Apple
boxes together and build a sofa. Get a few older Macs together
and build a bar, a network, and a piece of art.
If you as I have bought Macs since the 80's, this book is a joyous
ride back. If you are new to the Apple clan, read about where we
have been. The inspirations that Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and
Guy Kawasaki brought into the business world. Of the developers
and suppliers who have created all of those little gizmos thingies
for the Macs, the Power Macs, for the ibooks, the PowerBooks, the
MacBooks, the minis, for the ipods, and for our lives. And mainly,
this book is for the users. For those of us within "The Cult of Mac"
and of how we relish life.

The Cult of Mac.

For the true Mac lover. Possibly the largest computing subculture on this planet. This book is about everything Mac in a fashion sense. The first coffee table book for Mac that I can think of.

There is nothing technical about this book. It's solely about the Mac life style. Shave a Mac apple into the back of your head. It's alright here. The Mac. It's not just the worlds best computer it's also an art form. Not using that iMac any more no problem, remove the hardware and convert it into a fish tank. Buy the clothing. Use the Apple Lisa as bookends. This book is filled with ideas of what to do with that old Mac that you don't use and it's too beautiful or there's too much of a emotinal attachment to send it to the recycling plant. Revel in your own personal Mac-dom. Think different

This is a great cofee-table book for the Mac obsessed, or even those just interested in one of the great design icons of our time. As the member of an Apple Mac User Group, I can testify to the partisanship that can take over once you start using an Apple computer, but I've yet to participate in the depths of obsession documented so colorfully here. There isn't a lot in this book on the history of Apple, which has been done over by many other books anyway, instead it's a well-illustrated look at what the Mac has meant to its users. My favorite section was on the Japanese who continue to hang on to their original Macs long after the average user has replaced theirs several time over, updating and customising their machines in elaborate and imaginative ways.