The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness is a book written by Steven Levy, an American journalist.

In an author's note, Levy writes, Early in the process of planning The Perfect Thing, I decided to organize it by aspects of the iPod, instead of in a chronological narrative.

He then writes in a shuffled set of chapters, focusing on the "perfect" aspects of the iPod—the origins and the idea of the iPod, its ability to create an identity and a familiar community, its coolness factor, how it made music personal for individuals, and how it changed the music industry with Apple's iTunes Store.

The book includes quotes, interviews, and anecdotes with such individuals as Apple's co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs; Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates; cultural anthropologist at the University of Utrecht and noted "Professor of Cool," Dr. Carl Rohde; founder of MP3.com, Michael Robertson; and many others.

'"[1] Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing wrote: "The impact of "shuffling," of carrying your collection in your pocket, of putting digital music in the hands of info-civilians who never would have put up with the crummy design and arcane interfaces of the early competitors—these are big stories that will play out for decades yet, and Levy's book does the best job I've yet seen of categorizing and taking the measure of these great shifts.