By George Anderson
Forget about hippy origins, Steve Jobs of Apple Computer isn't about peace and love these days. He's all about the business and attempting to control anything related to it or him, it seems.
The same man who stood on stage and applauded actor Noah Wiley, who portrayed Mr. Jobs in a not always flattering light in the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, is not at all happy about an unauthorized, albeit largely flattering biography, being published by John Wiley & Sons, iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business.
Mr. Jobs and company's unhappiness led Apple to remove all of Wiley & Sons' technology books from the shelves of its stores.
The book's author, Jeffrey Young, is "totally bewildered" by the reaction of Jobs and Apple. "I thought the book was pretty positive and laudatory," he told The Associated Press. "It covers his personal life and there is something about his illness. I wouldn't call any of it outrageous."
Mr. Young is not alone in questioning Apple's recent moves to control what the public knows about the company, its products and Mr. Jobs.
Rob Frankel, a brand consultant told the AP, "Pulling books off the shelf is a little draconian. It reeks of repression."
For its part, Wiley & Sons, plans to go ahead with Mr. Young's book and the publisher hopes Apple will have a change of heart.
"We're hoping that they will re-evaluate their position because we have worked very hard to establish a good relationship with Apple," said Lori Sayde, a spokesperson for Wiley & Sons. "We're empathetic to all our tech authors who will lose out in this but we support our publisher's decision to publish this book."
Moderator's Comment: Has Apple Computer overstepped by removing books from John Wiley & Sons' from its stores? Is it in danger of diminishing its brand equity and ultimately product and store sales because of the actions it has taken to control what is made public about the company? - George Anderson - Moderator