My son told me about Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products by Leander Kahney and said I might enjoy it. He was right. But I’m a sucker for anything about Silicon Valley, especially a book covering the technological innovations of the region. Not sure this book taught me much about the unfolding of Apple’s great products I didn’t already know, but I certainly did learn about the legendary Jony Ive.

Jony is a designer. Perhaps the greatest who ever lived. The iMac? The iPod? The iPhone? The iPad? Those products, and much more, are Jony Ive designs.

Everybody knows about Steve Jobs of course. Rightfully so. But those who really know Apple are equally impressed with Jony Ive. He’s that important to the company. Or to the world for that matter.

This was not a deep look into what makes Jony tick. You don’t finish the book thinking you know the person. Instead, you finish the book in awe of his accomplishments. The author appears to be writing a book that says, “You should know what this guy has done .. it’s amazing.” That’s a different approach than a book delving deep into the subjects psyche.

So if you love great design, enjoy learning about technology, or just appreciate the unique place called Silicon Valley, this is a must read book. If you don’t, well, you might find it interesting but not compelling.