Insanely Great (1994)

From the moment the public met Macintosh - introduced by an apocalyptic commercial that had a nation rubbing its eyes in astonishment - it was clear that there had never been anything like it.

Its creators had been commanded to devise a personal computer that was not just good, not just great, but "insanely great" - so great that it would change the world. And it did. Macintosh won over a fanatic cult audience with its friendly interface, its attention to aesthetic detail, and what could only be called its quirky personality.

It invaded not only people's offices and homes, but their minds as well.

The Mac also catapulted the computer industry into an unprecedented mix of technics, economics, and show biz. Eventually, the essence of Macintosh found its way to nearly all computers, and has fundamentally changed the way we deal with information. Like the Model T or the Apollo mission, Macintosh thrust America into a new millennium.

Insanely Great tells the exciting story of the machine that became a kind of Manhattan Project in a box.

Veteran technology writer and Macworld columnist Steven Levy zooms in on the machine - the product of the collective will of its sometimes maniacal creators and its dedicated users - as well as the fortunes of the unique company responsible for the Mac's evolution. Levy looks beneath the surface of our stormy romance with silicon and software, at how the Mac proved to be a harbinger of our changing relationship with technology. And he tells how he - a self-described proto-Luddite - became a convert, seduced by a machine and its vision.

Full of insider anecdotes, peppered with Levy's sharp commentary - and created entirely on the machine it celebrates - Insanely Great is the definitive book on the most important computer ever made.

It is a must-have for Mac users, as well as for anyone curious about how we've arrived at the portal of the interactive era.