Apple In China

At 13hrs 32 mins in audiobook form or 448 pages in physical this is a substantial commitment. Is it worth it? It really depends on how deep your interest lies in not just Apple but supply chain dynamics affecting US companies leveraging Chinese manufacturing. There are many books written on the rise of Apple both as a company and more directly focused on Steve Jobs. This isn’t one of those, instead this focuses more on the Tim Cook era and the shift towards the company leaning more heavily on Chinese supply chains to drive down the cost of production.

Now, if this starts to pique your curiosity it actually is worth the listen. There will be stints in this book where you find yourself having to push through however you do come out the other end with a much greater appreciation of how Apple came to find themselves where they are today and the huge dependency they have on China. This also highlights why it’s such a vulnerability for them and despite the suggested intention to pivot more manufacturing to India given the scale of their China operations there is no quick or easy way to unwind from their current predicament.

I do think that this is a useful read for anyone interested in the business operations of Apple including from an investment perspective. This is a period of time when arguably they find themselves in a challenging position of heavy supply chain dependencies on one side and tariff threats on the other. Add to that what appears to be a lack of focus on innovation and it paints an interesting picture on what lies ahead for what is or at least was one of the most innovative technology companies in the world. Opinion seems to be split on whether under Cook’s tenure they can rediscover their innovative spark or if it’s time to shift from a supply chain specialist back to more of a product orientated one. I guess time will tell.

Certainly, credit is due to Patrick Mcgee for the level of research and depth of explanation he goes into. It’s no easy task to get to this level of detail and in doing so he not only shines the light on Apples precarious situation but serves as an instruction of caution for other companies in future.

Who’s it for?

Is this a casual read? No. Is it one I’d recommend adding to your library if you want to expand your understanding of global macroeconomics given the scale and position Apple still hold in the business world? Yes.

I previously reviewed Chokepoints and in that referred to Chip War as well. If you enjoyed any or either of those then it’s likely you’ll find this interesting too.