Insanely Simple- Ken Segall

The Simple Stick symbolizes a core value within Apple. Sometimes it’s held up as inspiration; other times it’s wielded like a caveman’s club. In all cases, it’s a reminder of what sets Apple apart from other technology companies and what makes Apple stand out in a complicated world: a deep, almost religious belief in the power of Simplicity.
          -  Ken Segall- Insanely Simple

On the Slow Life title page I’ve got a quotation from Thoreau:  “The wisdom of life consists of the elimination of non-essentials”.  On the title page of Ken Segall’s book “Insanely Simple”, he uses a two word quotation from Thoreau;  “Simplify, simplify” below which he’s written a single word quotation from Steve Jobs “Simplify”.

Insanely Simple  is subtitled “The obsession that drives Apple’s success”.  It is written by the man who was the creative director of Apple’s ad agency for ten years.  The desire to “keep it simple” permeated every aspect of the business.  Meetings were short, with the fewest number of attendees.  Focus groups were never used.It’s the focus on simplicity, on ease of use which has made every Apple product (and I’m afraid I’ve got them all) a joy to use.  It turns the Slow Life into the Easy Life.

“Simple can be harder than complex.  You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.  But it’s worth it in the end, because once you get there you can move mountains”
Steve Jobs