Now, “Inside Apple,” Lashinsky expands on the attributes that last year made Apple the world’s most valuable company. It’s an entertaining account that explains how other companies could emulate Apple’s success – while also making clear how difficult that task would be.

By now Apple’s approach to product development and marketing is well known. Lashinsky’s chapter titles boil them down into succinct commands: “Embrace Secrecy.” “Focus Obsessively.” “Overwhelm Friends/Dominate Foes.”

All of which is easier said than done. Lashinsky credits Apple’s outsize success largely to co-founder Steve Jobs, a noted micromanager whom he likens to “a domineering orchestra conductor.