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Steve Jobs Biography - Defaced in Japan

Blogs > thedeadhaji
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thedeadhaji *
Profile Blog Joined January 2006
39489 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-24 23:15:55
October 24 2011 23:08 GMT
#1
Crossposted from my main blog.

<hr width = "50%">

<center><img src = "http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltkcg8HjUW1qbxjw9o1_500.png" />
by Tomoyuki Arima</center>

<p><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koudansha">Koudansha</a>, the largest Japanese publishing house, has just <a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4062171260">defaced the new Steve Jobs biography</a>.</p><blockquote><p><em>"As a designer, I cannot tolerate the fact that they have altered the cropping of the original photograph."</em></p><p><a href="http://twitter.com/tatsdesign/status/128400283805024256">Tomoyuki Arima</a></p></blockquote><p>The editors have shown just how <strong>badly</strong> they are out of touch with Steve Jobs and his values. They have chosen to disrespect Steve Jobs and his beliefs in order to maximize the book's sales.</p><blockquote><p><em>"The fucking irony is that the cover is the only thing Jobs exerted any influence on, and fucking Koudansha decided to deface it."</em></p><p><a href="http://twitter.com/__kiyoto__/status/128377868626575360">Kiyoto Tamura</a></p></blockquote><p>If maximizing profits meant a less perfect product, Jobs would choose less profits every time. In this very biography, he recalls how Microsoft has deliberately sacrificed product quality for a superior business model. Apple is not Microsoft, and Steve Jobs is not Bill Gates. Koudansha's pursuit of profits at Steve's expense is revolting.</p><p>The worst part about this mess? The fact that this abomination of a redesign will probably increase sales in Japan.</p><p>Sigh.</p>

<hr width = "50%">

*note: A comparison of the cover between various countries can be found here

Also, this is how the book looks like on the shelves with a "cover strip" attached.

<center>[image loading]</center>

*
Megaliskuu
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
United States5123 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-25 00:06:25
October 24 2011 23:12 GMT
#2
I'm confused...

Am I missing something here??

EDIT: Yup confirmed for not a big deal lol.
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Myles
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States5162 Posts
October 24 2011 23:12 GMT
#3
I don't see the big deal.
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Praetorial
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
United States4241 Posts
October 24 2011 23:13 GMT
#4
I'm sorry, but I can't seem to tell what the problem is? Is recropping it such a big deal?
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Hikari
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
1914 Posts
October 24 2011 23:13 GMT
#5
My copy just arrived 10 minutes ago. This will be the 1st book I read in ~2 years.
Probulous
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
Australia3894 Posts
October 24 2011 23:14 GMT
#6
That's some sneaky marketing right there

Seems weird that they had the original photograph to change. I guess because the font is different they had to have it. I'm sure Steve wouldn't be too upset. He is of course dead...
"Dude has some really interesting midgame switches that I wouldn't have expected. "I violated your house" into "HIHO THE DAIRY OH!" really threw me. You don't usually expect children's poetry harass as a follow up " - AmericanUmlaut
thedeadhaji *
Profile Blog Joined January 2006
39489 Posts
October 24 2011 23:14 GMT
#7
On October 25 2011 08:12 Megaliskuu wrote:
I'm confused...part of his hand gets croped off and its defacing it?

Am I missing something here...


Alterations include the cropping change, font type change, font size change, background color change, addition of icons, and addition of a "cover strip" (shown below) with superfluous headlines that read like an advertisement.

[image loading]

AnachronisticAnarchy
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
United States2957 Posts
October 24 2011 23:15 GMT
#8
EXTREMELY small deal. This is like that Totalbiscuit "protest" that went on a while ago.
"How are you?" "I am fine, because it is not normal to scream in pain."
thedeadhaji *
Profile Blog Joined January 2006
39489 Posts
October 24 2011 23:19 GMT
#9
Added image with "cover strip" to op.

To those of you who claim that this is just a small detail that doesn't matter - have you forgotten that the very subject of this book is a guy who was incredibly anal about the most minute of details? This book is his (and the cover is the only part that Jobs had any influence on), and this Japanese publisher completely shat on him.
Advocado
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Denmark994 Posts
October 24 2011 23:20 GMT
#10
That son of a bitch! Sorry Haji, I don't really care that much for a picture on the top of a biography. You could say it looks less like the own guy's work, but I'm more interested in what the pages in the book says than the actual cover.

Only thing I don't like is the superfluous headlines as they are way to common when trying to sell terrible books.

http://www.twitch.tv/advocadosc2
fabiano
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Brazil4644 Posts
October 24 2011 23:21 GMT
#11
who really cares.

if that would be seen as an offense by steve jobs, then steve jobs was lamer than I always thought he was.
"When the geyser died, a probe came out" - SirJolt
askTeivospy
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
1525 Posts
October 24 2011 23:22 GMT
#12
its more busy and looks like a magazine but

really defacing? Also i don't see how this will increase sales but to me if something increases sales then that is actually the superior product :|
hihihi
Devise
Profile Joined July 2010
Canada1131 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-24 23:30:35
October 24 2011 23:27 GMT
#13
This reminds me of those games in magazines where it says spot the difference, and it's really hard to find any unless you look hard.

Yes they changed a little bit, but you make it out that they completely destroyed and disrespected the book, it's not a big deal.... really stupid post.

Edit : I can't believe I just read, this redesign does against everything Steve Jobs stood for, you must be joking right....?
thedeadhaji *
Profile Blog Joined January 2006
39489 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-24 23:28:25
October 24 2011 23:28 GMT
#14
On October 25 2011 08:22 askTeivospy wrote:
its more busy and looks like a magazine but

really defacing? Also i don't see how this will increase sales but to me if something increases sales then that is actually the superior product :|


That's perfectly reasonable, as the objective sets the means by which it should be achieved (and we can surely have a difference of opinion).

My beef with this is that the "redesign" goes against everything Apple and Steve Jobs stood for and fought for, whether you buy into their dogma or not. If there is one occasion where others should bend to their will, for me, this was it.
gngfn
Profile Joined January 2009
United States1726 Posts
October 24 2011 23:29 GMT
#15
Adding a cover strip is defacement? Please. Would it be "defacement" if Barnes & Noble slapped a 25% off sticker on the cover? Jobs doesn't need 100% creative control over every piece of media that has anything to do with him.
RebirthOfLeGenD
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
USA5860 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-24 23:31:02
October 24 2011 23:30 GMT
#16
-_- steve jobs sucked and I blame him for the piece of shit that windows 8 looks like it is going to be. I dunno how you can say he didn't focus on profit since everything apple has is about 3-5x the price it should be, at least for computers. Maybe you can argue they didn't sacrifice quality to do that, but I would say that depends on your definition of quality. That 2gb macbook they sold for 1k around a year ago (dunno if they updated it) was clearly a piece of shit and functioned on par with a netbook.
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TheAmazombie
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States3714 Posts
October 24 2011 23:30 GMT
#17
Yeah, it is slightly different and that is kind of annoying, but seriously, this happens ALL THE TIME in every country where they alter things to fit marketing strats.

I hate thie "Steve Job" deification since his death where every little thing that happens Apple people take as a sign of either his brilliance or a great disrespect.
We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. -Charlie Chaplin
Thrill
Profile Blog Joined May 2007
2599 Posts
October 24 2011 23:31 GMT
#18
Making anything related to Jobs less minimalistic (wow, just hit me what a paradox those two words together are) is a shame indeed.
decafchicken
Profile Blog Joined January 2005
United States20154 Posts
October 24 2011 23:32 GMT
#19
On October 25 2011 08:08 thedeadhaji wrote:
If maximizing profits meant a less perfect product, Jobs would choose less profits every time. In this very biography, he recalls how Microsoft has deliberately sacrificed product quality for a superior business model. Apple is not Microsoft, and Steve Jobs is not Bill Gates


Then why is apple's shit so ridiculously overpriced?
how reasonable is it to eat off wood instead of your tummy?
LaLuSh
Profile Blog Joined April 2003
Sweden2358 Posts
October 24 2011 23:33 GMT
#20
Feels like pseudonews.
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