# Apple in China by Patrick McGee

16 Hacker News commenters recommended Apple in China by Patrick McGee and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Readers call it a page-turning, detailed account of how Apple worked with Chinese manufacturers and the political situation there. One critic calls it motivated.

## Why people recommend it

- Detailed account of Apple's China operations (3 comments): "It's an undisputed damning account of how Cook was used by China to train millions of Chinese electronics manufacturers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47848912)) "how they actually made the iPhone work was just an amazing read" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47849349)) "meticulously detailing how Apple countered Xi's" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46135987))
- Well written, engaging page-turner (5 comments): "Apple in China is a great book and shows how good China is on focusing on quality" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48380434)) "how they actually made the iPhone work was just an amazing read" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47849349)) ""Apple in China" was pretty good! I can second that one." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46392710))
- Covers politics and Apple-Beijing dealings (3 comments): "it better describes the anti-foreign political situation in China at the time and what it meant to the smartphone industry" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46125417)) "It's an undisputed damning account of how Cook was used by China to train millions of Chinese electronics manufacturers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47848912)) "meticulously detailing how Apple countered Xi's" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46135987))

## What people warn about

- Seen as biased or uncritical (2 comments): "Patrick McGee / Apple in China is motivated writing." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46136745)) "The book is frankly retarded American glazing." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47852188))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668053373?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781668053379) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Apple in China by Patrick McGee", https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-in-china/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).