On the Firing Line: My 500 Days at Apple

As former CEO of Apple Computer, Gil Amelio has a lot to talk about. His hard-hitting, nonstop, and frank account of his life as Apple's CEO begins with an astonishing encounter with Steve Jobs. Five hundred tumultuous days later, it was Jobs himself who would play a prominent role in influencing Apple's board of directors to fire Amelio. Told from the unique perspective of Apple's hot seat, this is the story of how a proven high-technology artist took on the biggest challenge of his career -- and perhaps his life -- and how Apple Computer operated during Amelio's 500 days, from day one, when Amelio realized his highly touted compensation package was a sham, to the rapidly spiraling maelstrom of problems --financial, organization, and creative -- that threatened daily to sweep Amelio and Apple into oblivion. Amelio incisively describes Apple's weaknesses, its trouble spots, its quirks (including an eye-opening "dress code"), and its luminaries including Jean-Louis Gassé, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. Giving credit where credit is due, Amelio candidly apportions blame for Apple's failures, even when the person to blame is himself. Beyond a personal account and an exposé on the inner workings at Apple, this is a cautionary tale on business in today's volatile, changing marketplace.