© 1993 Lawrence I. Charters
Washington Apple Pi Journal, Vol. 15, no. 2, February 1993, p. 46.
Kawasaki, who once described himself as a ”legend in his own mind,” has written a new book.* In it, he continues to show a fondness for lists, for “exercises,” for puns and inside jokes, and an aversion to traditional narrative. Most of the book, in fact, is made up of definitions, in the manner of Ambrose Bierce’s The Devil’s Dictionary, that are both less accurate and more revealing than those in common use. Most sections are also “padded” with reprints of his columns from MacUser (and occasionally other sources). So, inspired by the book, we’ll give it a Kawasaki-style review.
Choose one answer to each question:
Reprinting magazine columns and excerpts from previous books in The Computer Curmudgeon is:
- A blatant example of padding. Either that, or he thinks the stuff is so good it bears repetition.
- An inspired method of preserving ephemeral wisdom in a more permanent form.
His relentless use of the first person shows:
- He really does believe he is a legend in his own mind.
- A sensitivity to readers grown weary of the Imperial Third Person.
His fondness for tongue-in-cheek “exercises” reveals:
- The lingering effects of overdosing on management and sensitivity workshops.
- The lingering effects of overdosing on Apple Evangelism.
His penchant for lists is a direct result of:
- An inability to sustain a thought for more than a few paragraphs. Narrative prose requires discipline, a word foreign to his vocabulary.
- His insight into the reading public of the 1990’s which, despite complaints to the contrary, really does prefer information dispensed in 30-second sound bites.
His definitions are:
- Often cute, but shallow. Some examples:
SINC. Single Income, No Clones.
Perot. To unexpectedly quit an application.
bozo. Someone who sees Windows and thinks it’s a Macintosh.
Stufflt. What Steve Jobs would like to tell John Sculley.
warranty. The time period during which your Macintosh does not break.
MacWorld Expo. 40,000 people trying to get an invitation to the Ingram/Micro D party.
- Inspired. Some examples:
After Dark. Proof that Macintosh owners have too much money.
footprint. The amount of space an IBM PC wastes on your desk.
server. Software that enables other people to crash your computer.
printing. What pen-based computer companies think everyone wants to do on a computer.
superstore. A store that doesn’t provide service and support but doesn’t charge for them.
Would this book make a good gift for someone, including yourself?
- If you like MS-DOS machines and dislike sex, avoid the book.
- If you like your Mac and are somewhat unsure of Apple, get the book.
- If you know nothing of sex or Macs, buy Madonna’s book.
If you chose the second answer more than three times, you should get a copy for yourself, or for someone who will let you borrow it. The definitions, in particular, are quote-worthy, which is an asset in an age that values the outwardly erudite but not enough to go to the trouble and expense of actually being educated.
Consider:
Apple. Proof that as long as your customers are still complaining, they’re still willing to do business with you.
Now, ask yourself: Isn’t that more readable, and memorable, than the last computer manual you looked at?
*Actually, Kawasaki may have said this more than once, but I personally heard it only once. And if Kawasaki could footnote his title on the title page, I can have a footnote in my review.
Author: Kawasaki, Guy
Title: The Computer Curmudgeon
Publlsher: Carmel, IN: Hayden, 1992
Length: Approx. 250 pp.
SRP: $16.95
ISBN: 1-56830-013-1