SAN FRANCISCO — The iPod is a hit. Macs are flying off the shelves. Share prices have tripled in a year.

So why is Apple Computer Inc. so touchy these days?

In its latest fit of corporate pique, Apple pulled all copies of dozens of books published by John Wiley & Sons Inc. from the shelves of its 103 stores, the publisher said.  Apple was unhappy with an upcoming book on its chief executive and co-founder, Steve Jobs.

The move heightens Apple's reputation as the most thin-skinned company in Silicon Valley.

The latest flap began when Apple tried to block publication of "iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business," said Wiley spokeswoman Susan Spilka.

After Wiley, of Hoboken, N.J.,  refused to stop the book, Apple pulled all Wiley titles — such as "Macs for Dummies."

"We don't think it's in the best interest of their retail store customer or in keeping with the nature of our long-standing partnership," Spilka said. "We hope that they re-evaluate."

A spokesman for Apple declined to comment on the company's move.

Jeffrey S. Young, who wrote the book with William L. Simon, can't figure out what made Apple executives so mad. He said the book is about how Jobs returned to Apple after being ousted, returned the company to glory and, with the iPod music player, rewrote  the rules for the music industry. 

It deals with the CEO's family and his bout with pancreatic cancer, but "It's not a Kitty Kelley tell-all book," Young said.

 “Pulling books off the shelf is a little draconian,” said Rob Frankel, a brand consultant. “It reeks of repression.”

      Young said Wiley & Sons sent a manuscript to Apple two weeks ago and the company responded by demanding that the publisher halt the release. Wiley & Sons decided instead to stand behind its book.

    Lori Sayde, another spokeswoman for the publisher, said she did not know how much money Wiley & Sons could lose as a result of Apple's refusal to sell the publisher's books.

   Apple is known for aggressively protecting its intellectual property, as well as its image.

   In December, Apple sued 25 unnamed people — presumed to be Apple employees — who allegedly leaked confidential product information in violation of nondisclosure agreements and California's Uniform Trade Secrets Act.

   Apple then subpoenaed the Internet site operators of three online reporters who wrote about the secret products, seeking to identify their sources. The reporters, backed by major media companies including The Associated Press, said Apple's efforts could erode the media's ability to report in the public's interest.

  In January, Apple sued a 19-year-old publisher of another Web site that revealed trade secrets about the $499 Mac mini computer.

   Defendants in that case include Harvard University student Nicholas Ciarelli, a Mac enthusiast who publishes the Web site ThinkSecret, and unnamed sources who tipped him off two weeks before Apple officially introduced the mini on Jan. 11.

Roger Kay, an analyst for IDC, a technology  intelligence company,  said Apple's move may backfire and boost book sales. But it doesn't surprise him.

" ‘My way or the highway,' is the cliche that fits the way Apple deals with the entire (business) ecosystem," he said.

Kay knows something about that. He mildly criticized Apple last year for not having an entry-level Mac. Although the company already had such a model in the works, Apple executives chewed him out and complained to his bosses.

They still won't return his calls.