Steven Levy
Insanely great
The life and times of Macintosh, the computer that changed everything
Penguin Books, 1995
312 pages
ISBN: 0-1402-3237-0

This is Yet Another Macintosh Story™ – sure, it flows quite nicely, but doesn’t really contain much more than any other book or good website on this topic. Why am I listing it here then? Two things: its first 100 pages, smoothly going from Memex to Apple Lisa, seem a very accessible introduction to GUI history, and the book ponders a lot about influence of mouse-driven computers on our everyday’s lives. “Insanely great” might not be the deepest book on the subject, but it should do well during a relaxing Sunday porch session, especially if you’re just starting getting to know the fascinating history of GUIs.

The following paragraphs are quoted verbatim from the back cover:

The creation of the Mac in 1984 catapulted America into the digital millennium, captured a fanatic cult audience, and transformed the computer industry into an unprecedented mix of technics, economics, and show business. Now veteran technology writer and MacWorld columnist Steven Levy zooms in on the great machine and the fortunes of the unique company responsible for its evolution. Loaded with anectode and insight, peppered with sharp commentary, created entirely on the computer it celebrates, and now with a new afterward [sic] on the PowerMac, Insanely Great is the definitive book on the most important computer ever made. It is a must-have for Mac users and anyone curious about how we’ve arrivated at the portal of the interactive era.

Eleven chapters and an afterword.