King Lear, meet Steve Jobs

Apple??s latest misstep--the incredible decision to pull all of Wiley & Sons books from its store shelves because the publisher plans to release a Steve Jobs biography--has all but been forgotten in the torrent of publicity surrounding the rollout of Tiger.

If I didn??t know any better I would swear Jobs was channeling the ghost of King Lear. Not that he gives a damn what the idiots in the press think, but Apple??s recent stunts increasingly belie the company??s carefully manicured image as an avatar of the hip generation.

True to form, Apple has chosen not to speak to the press. So I??ll go with a more trusted source. In an interview with Reuters, co-author Jeffrey Young said it was his understanding that Apple simply did not like the book. (By the way fellow co-author Bill Simon was the ghost writer for Gil Amelio??s recounting of his days as CEO before Jobs.)

"My understanding is that Wiley requested or asked if there were any factual changes to be made in the book or errors and that's when they (Apple) said the only thing satisfying to (them) would be not to publish the book," Young told Reuters.

Young actually should send Jobs a thank-you note: Apple??s ham-handed decision guarantees mega-sales the first day it hits the shelves. I know I??m buying a copy.