Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different

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Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 737 ratings · 167 reviews

"Your time is limited. . . . have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."--Steve Jobs

From the start, his path was never predictable. Steve Jobs was given up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college after one semester, and at the age of twenty, created Apple in his parents' garage with his friend Steve Wozniack. Then came the core and hallmark of his genius--h...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published February 14th 2012 by Feiwel & Friends (first published February 1st 2012)

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Nov 24, 2012 يوسف زهدى rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, books-i-own, business-and-economics

Mmmm, interesting book, not the official biography but telling Steve Jobs story from early beginning to the end, supported by testimonials and articles.
Before this book my relationship with Apple inc. were limited in my friends screaming about how iPhones are great, now I can partially understand how people are amazed about Apple products (however I'm not 100% agreeing with them, but will probably give Apple a try).
I admit that I liked Steve before the book, I remember his Stanford 2005 great sp...more

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May 11, 2013 Kelsey Collins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kelsey Collins
Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve jobs: The man who thought different. Harrisonburg: Fiewel and Friends.
Genre: Biography
Format: Print
Selection Process: WorldCat search of “Young Adult Biographies”

This biography is about Steve Jobs and his journey from his very beginning as an adopted child, to being a gifted student, to a college drop out, to the man who built the first Apple computer in his parents’ basement. There are many known stories in the biography, but also many that are surpris...more

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May 11, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

Elizabeth Jose
Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve Jobs: The man who thought different: a biography. New York: Feiwel and Friends.
Genre: Biography
Format: Print
Selection Process: YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist

Steve Jobs: arrogant, insane, relentless genius. As with all brilliant minds of the last century, he had quirks that most could not understand or come to terms with. Blumenthal portrays Jobs as all of this and more in this biography that depicts how one man’s visi...more Elizabeth Jose
Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve Jobs: The man who thought different: a biography. New York: Feiwel and Friends.
Genre: Biography
Format: Print
Selection Process: YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist

Steve Jobs: arrogant, insane, relentless genius. As with all brilliant minds of the last century, he had quirks that most could not understand or come to terms with. Blumenthal portrays Jobs as all of this and more in this biography that depicts how one man’s vision (or, depending on how you look at it, the tweaking of others’ ideas) brought about change to everyday life in modern day society. Using the commencement speech that Jobs gave to the graduating class at Stanford University in 2005, the author elaborates on three main stories that he shared that day: the importance of 1) connecting the dots in life, 2) love and loss, and 3) death (Blumenthal, 2012).

The first section dealt with Jobs’ search and drive for meaning and perfection in his early years, while ruthlessly cutting down everyone in his path to achieve it. Despite many, many technological flops before the path to what Apple is today, he pressed on to capture his vision for a clean, streamlined product line that provided a personal experience. The second section was a little more personal, as it discussed his private family & love life in more detail, as well as the sense of loss he suffered when he was fired from Apple. To conclude the book, the author delved into the last major phase of Jobs’ life when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and faced certain death.

Readers interested in material having depth and meaning will be fascinated by Jobs’ life story. With an enormous amount of detail that naturally goes into a biography, Blumenthal manages to successfully paint a portrait of a lunatic who seems to be quite ingenious and revolutionary for his time. Though the first third of the book is a bit tedious to read due to high technical content, the second and last third are more gripping, as they address issues that are close to Jobs’ personal life, including the internal struggles he faced as a father, boyfriend, husband, businessman, trendsetter, and cancer patient. By focusing on the contents of his 2005 commencement speech, the author gracefully summates the highlights of the technological giant’s life and has captured the legacy and vision he leaves behind.

Recommended.

Reference:

Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve Jobs: The man who thought different: a biography. New York: Feiwel and Friends.(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 John Champneys rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

These days if someone told you to “Think Different” you'd probably get no raised eyebrows, but if you'd said the same thing ten or twelve years ago you'd have raised quite a flock, and probably gained a few admonishments as well. It was bad grammar in those days because you were supposed to think different-ly.
Yet this article isn't about grammar books or anything like that : It's the advertising slogan launched by a computer company called Apple. And it was in Autumn 1997. The educationalists t...more These days if someone told you to “Think Different” you'd probably get no raised eyebrows, but if you'd said the same thing ten or twelve years ago you'd have raised quite a flock, and probably gained a few admonishments as well. It was bad grammar in those days because you were supposed to think different-ly.
Yet this article isn't about grammar books or anything like that : It's the advertising slogan launched by a computer company called Apple. And it was in Autumn 1997. The educationalists threw up their hands at the incorrectness of it all, never once pausing to take a closer look at how cute and clever the phrase was.

I didn’t know this, and now I know it I’m really glad I do, along with all the other factoids about Steve Jobs and his Apple Company. I have never owned any Apple product, and after reading this book I think I’m less inclined to go in for one than I was before starting it. Chiefly because almost every one of his products had some glaring fault, each of which happened to work against me — and my disability — in a direct way.

For some reason Mr Jobs hated the CD drawer on computers, so he removed it, to outcries from Apple owners. The same had happened earlier with the floppy disc drive (at that time users were heavily dependent on them). Then later on he then decided that he didn’t like cursor keys (arrow keys) on Apple keyboards. They are the keys which enable you to nudge your cursor up or down the lines, or left and right within the line so you can position it exactly where you want. They were removed without so much as a ‘by your leave’ with even greater outcries from faithful users, all on Mr Jobs’s whim. So far all the things he detested have been things which make my life far easier.

So why did a man’s products, which went so much against the grain against much of what customers wanted become the owner of one of the wealthiest corporations in the world with a customer loyalty base which verged and often over-tipped into the devotional?* And why did I find the Steve Jobs story so riveting, to the extent that I completely lost track of time?

As the tale moved on, my own and Jobs's visions drifted further and further apart. Jobs envisaged phones and electronic gadgets becoming intimately interwoven into our personal lives until their presence separate from the body-mind complex lost all distinction. The final step was his conviction that Apple gadgets should be built with no on/off switch. As the gadgets should be woven into the warp and woof of our life pattern, so too should their 'consciousness' never fall deeper than slumber.

Steve Jobs developed symptoms of pancreatic cancer which he initially tried to bully away in typical autocratic style, (initially with a shot of pethidine in the bum). At one point he'd lie about his condition by informing share holders that it had been cured, a story which aficionados and the markets must have swallowed whole. Certainly the lie prevented Apple stock from taking a nose-dive. The tiny Islets of Langerhans are, however, immune to bluster, genius and deception. Despite the best which modern medicine can do, carcinogenic spores infiltrated every cell of this phenomenal, maddening and brilliant billionaire. In the final weeks of his life, Steve receives a visit from his old friend and colleague Bill Gates and the two spend 3 hours reminiscing on old times.

Towards the end Mr Steve debated, deep within the labyrinth of his madcap genius mind, whether God existed or not, deciding that the odds must be 50:50. On balance though he thought it was more likely that it was like an on/off switch and that at the end we simply winked out of existence just as we’d once winked in. Maybe that’s why I never wanted an off-on switch on any of my devices, he chortled, and I had a little laugh too, even if it wasn’t for quite the same reason.

I found this a rivetting read, without being sure why.

*Because Windows' operating system is so awful? (less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Eugene S. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different
by Karen Blumenthal
267 pages

Steve Jobs was the founder and leader of the Apple computer. He wasn't actually a computer geek or an engineer. But he helped create amazing products like the iPhone. Even though he had a lot of success in his life, there were also lots of failures too. Sometimes the computers he made weren't selling well. He also screamed at a lot of workers and took credit for the ideas of other people. Steve Jobs began his life adopted by...more

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Apr 22, 2013 TonyS rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different
By Karen Blumenthal
320 Pages
Biography

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different is about the co-founder of Apple Computer, (now Apple Inc.) Steve Jobs. It tells the perfectly painted picture of Jobs from when he was born and put up for adoption, to when he founded when he founded Apple with Steve Wozniak, to when he was fired, to being diagnosed with cancer, to death. Karen Blumenthal tells the life of Jobs in two ways- The way that a computer wiz (Or Woz,...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-booktalks

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”
The dots will connect. The journey is the reward. Don’t settle for okay. Just do what’s right.
Steve Jobs lived his life by all of these mottos, and encouraged those around him to do the same. In this biography, Karen Blumenthal connects the dots of his life for us, from his beginnings as an adopted child of Clara and Paul Jobs, to a gifted but ornery third grader who created a small explosion underneath his teacher’s chair, to a lost and troubled barefoot college drop...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, bullies, community, death, families, friendship, gifted, ncbla2013

I began this book intrigued by the public's fascination with this man and the products he popularized and completed it just as puzzled, if not more. The author clearly describes the deep contradictions within the man, and while, a case can be made that he changed the music, film, and communications industry, I suppose, I also found myself wondering why, in some respects, I should care. I guess I'm somewhat of a Luddite in that I don't need to have access to music and the latest Web news or email...more I began this book intrigued by the public's fascination with this man and the products he popularized and completed it just as puzzled, if not more. The author clearly describes the deep contradictions within the man, and while, a case can be made that he changed the music, film, and communications industry, I suppose, I also found myself wondering why, in some respects, I should care. I guess I'm somewhat of a Luddite in that I don't need to have access to music and the latest Web news or email at every moment of the day, and I wonder about so much acclaim being given to someone who popularized all the technology upon which so many of us now rely. What does it mean? Of what significance is all this? The frame for this biography about Steve Jobs, the man who became the face of Apple, is a 2005 commencement speech he gave at Stanford. The author weaves in information around the three stories he told to the graduates at that ceremony, leaving readers to decide for themselves how they feel about the man. As successful as Jobs was in his business efforts, he also experienced failures, and had to overcome challenges. It's never quite clear--other than his having been adopted--what formed his unique personality and drive to succeed and to control so many aspects of the company he was trying to run. As it becomes clear that he is dying despite his best efforts to keep the cancer at bay or to simply deny its existence, I wondered about the ethics of a company keeping secret the health of its leader. I wondered, too, about what would make someone become more interested in his work than his immediate family, and wished there had been more of those elements explored in this book. Still, some of this man's philosophy resonates with me: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life..." Ah, yes, and I would add: "Don't waste it trying to please everyone around you." Teen readers will enjoy reading this title and trying to tease out this man's motivations and understand his personality while smiling at the black and white photographs of the young Jobs. (less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Richie Partington rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Richie’s Picks: STEVE JOBS: THE MAN WHO THOUGHT DIFFERENT: A BIOGRAPHY by Karen Blumenthal, Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, February 2012, 320p., ISBN: 978-1-250-01445-0

“You and me burning matches, lifting latches
On our way back home”
-- Lennon/McCartney

“In every case, he was seeking something that would be easier and simpler to use because, as the original brochure said, ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ When you first look at a problem, it seems easy because you don’t know that much ab...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Dee rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a well-done biography of Steve Jobs. Maybe there was a little too much focus on business, which is not interesting to me especially, but the story of the man was absorbing. I started using a Mac in 1984, and pretty much owe my entire work life to it. As soon as I started using it I jumped onto the Mac bandwagon, and bought the whole line about it being a computer for the masses, for "the rest of us", which it was. Anybody could start using it right out of the box. It was like a cute lit...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Allison Lupton added it · review of another edition

Shelves: reference-section

Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve Jobs: The man who thought different. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends.
Reviewed By: Allison Lupton
Reference Type: Biographical Reference
Reading Level: 7th- 10th/Young Adult
Call Number: 621.39
Cost: $17
Description: This book takes a deep look into the life of Jobs, beginning with his adoption, then proceeding on to childhood, teenage years, and eventually adulthood. This has a good amount of information for teens.
Relevance/Relationship: This book is relevant simply du...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-history, ya-books, biography, nonfiction

This was a nicely done biography. According to her author notes, she did a surprising amount of independent research. I honestly rather expected most would be a rewrite of Isaacson's bio of Jobs. But Blumenthal has a reputation for doing honest good work, so I suppose that was an unfair assumption of mine. I didn't really learn much that was new considering I have already read the Isaacson bio but this still held my interest. I liked how she covered his negative points with honesty rather than m...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Lewis Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steve was an obtuse charlatan, ooooo good words. Now, here me out, before I knew anything about Steve Jobs, aside from the demonstrations and the lovely turtleneck, I always labelled him as a genius. I think everyone did/does, but as you strip away the fancy keynote speeches and magazine covers you are bum rushed by the character of a man untold and the lack of an exceptional skillset which would qualify a genius. I want to note a few of these for the people out there that are not going to read...more Steve was an obtuse charlatan, ooooo good words. Now, here me out, before I knew anything about Steve Jobs, aside from the demonstrations and the lovely turtleneck, I always labelled him as a genius. I think everyone did/does, but as you strip away the fancy keynote speeches and magazine covers you are bum rushed by the character of a man untold and the lack of an exceptional skillset which would qualify a genius. I want to note a few of these for the people out there that are not going to read this book. We will leave out all the no showering and vegan jokes for another thyme, ahhhh!!! Too easy.

Job’s day started out by parking in the disabled parking space (not a joke, he did this everyday), calling a meeting, listening to ideas, if it was good he would state it as his own later to investors, if it was bad, offend and then humiliate. Humiliating team members in meetings for tiny mistakes was a regular occurrence. The book spends most its time covering how insensitive jobs was, I was hoping, pleading that by the end of the book he would mature and gain some compassion, as I could go away from the book knowing he had some redeeming qualities, but this didn’t happen, note the recycled nurses below.
What is not freely distributed are the idea's he stole from Microsoft, the bonus (£5000) he kept from Wozniak (the real genius) ouch. The daily temper tantrums that ended with Jobs in tears, we are talking about a grown man here, with back hair and everything. The refusal to give money to charity, now this is the most abhorrent. Bill gates rallied together billionaires and asked them to give half their wealth to charities, all but jobs agreed, that was the kicker for me, and he disgraced himself there. During his stint in hospital, he disposed of sixty nurses because they didn’t have any turtlenecks. Complete burn!! No, he struggled to trust the nurses that were treating him.

I feel like I am taking a lot of cheap shots here, by listing his behaviour, but I think it’s important (enough for me to write a review) for people to know what he was like. Especially in the sense of his money grabbing and lack of altruism, although he wanted to change the world, he didn’t want to save it.
I've heard writers and reviewers justify job's behaviour inadvertently by saying he had irresistible charm and persuasion skills that were off the Richter, but is charm and persuasion techniques not essential to prosper people with agendas that are questionable??
He wanted to change the world and I can see how much easier he has made things, but it's hard to say he DID things, he was an ideas man, a "tweaker" as they put it in this book, but this didn't save him from Wozniak's dad who said he did nothing and was riding on the talent of the younger Wozniak. Bill Gates couldn’t get over the fact that jobs didn’t know how to program, a skill he thought would be central to job's repertoire.

Now, here lieth some talent, he had an excellent eye for beauty and intuition to invest in companies that other’s would not, he had a third eye for business ventures. Which is all very admirable, but a lot of his "visionary skills" to me could have been accomplished by anyone that was placed in the position he bullied his way into. Now I say that lightly, because we have all had the time when we read a book or saw a film and stated "I could have done that" but we didn't, it was only now we could see the sophistication in the simple (an early apple quote).

I can't give him praise in regard to character, but I can give him praise in having an insatiable desire for perfection which has resulted in a lot of happy music, computer and mobile users all over the world...universe...planet, alright ignore planet and universe, just world.

P.S. I know I talked about Steve Job's and not the book, but it's rather good, check it out.(less)

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May 20, 2012 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 12-14, biography, technology

Well, now I don't have to read Isaacson's bio! This book uses that and a lot of other good sources to write a bio of Jobs for a young teen audience.

The early parts of Jobs' life I thought were handled tastefully and in a way young teens would get - he was a jerk who seldom showered! No wonder he got fired! I felt his flailing with Next and with Pixar lacked a little context - remember these are kids who never knew a world without Pixar - what did that company mean? Then, when he returns to Appl...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: people

Amazon review:
"Your time is limited. . . . have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."--Steve Jobs

From the start, his path was never predictable. Steve Jobs was given up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college after one semester, and at the age of twenty, created Apple in his parents' garage with his friend Steve Wozniack. Then came the core and hallmark of his genius--his exacting moderation for perfection, his counterculture life approach, and his level of taste and style that...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-yalsa-hub-reading-challenge, biography, young-adult-lit

Having already read Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, I didn't really learn anything new about him in this one, but I did enjoy the way Blumenthal used his 2005 commencement address at Stanford to frame the story of Jobs' life.

This biography is accessible to younger readers and is, overall, inspiring. Despite his idiosyncrasies and his difficulties relating to other people, Jobs certainly provided an innovative spark that revolutionized the way we communicate today.

As a person who is old enoug...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-2012, memoirs-biographies-etc, lasting-impression, really-good

I'm writing this review on my MacBook Pro, whilst listening to music on iTunes. My iPhone sits beside me and my mum is currently using my iPad. I love Apple products and I use them everyday - in fact, I'd feel lost without them. Most of you will either own at least one of Apple's products, or know somebody who does. Even if you don't, you surely must've watched or heard of a Pixar film, such as Toy Story or Finding Nemo. It's pretty clear what sort of impact that Apple and Pixar have had on the...more I'm writing this review on my MacBook Pro, whilst listening to music on iTunes. My iPhone sits beside me and my mum is currently using my iPad. I love Apple products and I use them everyday - in fact, I'd feel lost without them. Most of you will either own at least one of Apple's products, or know somebody who does. Even if you don't, you surely must've watched or heard of a Pixar film, such as Toy Story or Finding Nemo. It's pretty clear what sort of impact that Apple and Pixar have had on the world of technology today.

I'm a huge fan of Apple, and as soon as I heard of the biography, entitled Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, I really wanted to pick it up and read all about the company. However, as much of a fan as I am, there was, to simply put it, no way that I was going to read a 600-750 page biography. The book is huge and I'm afraid that I just wouldn't have the patience to read it all - I was intimidated by it. When I was told by Bloomsbury that Karen Blumenthal had written a biography that was aimed at the 'iPhone texting, white-headphone-listening, iTunes downloading generation', I absolutely pounced at the chance to read it. At a much more digestible 320 pages (including photographs) and straight to the point, this gave me just the insight that I wanted into Steve Jobs and Apple's life.

I admit that at the start of the book, I wasn't really getting into it. I think that this was partly because I was learning things that I didn't really know about Jobs - he certainly had a bit of a dark side and was quite fiery, but not in a very good way. I think that it's fantastic that Blumenthal did include all of those harsher details though, as it helped me to get to know what Jobs was really like behind the scenes. I went from somebody that, before opening the book, admired Jobs and his creativity, to taking quite a strong dislike to him. However, I came to understand that he was young, he had a strong personality and was determined. Although he wasn't always the most socially acceptable, he had faith in himself and what he was doing, something to admire. I'm glad to say that when I hit the half-way part of the book, I had learnt why he was acting the way he did and began to honour him a lot more. I felt as though Blumenthal was giving him a fair representation, showing both his good and bad sides - of course nobody is perfect.

I thought it was really interesting to see how both Jobs and his companies progressed. It was inspiring to see that although Jobs did hit a lot of difficulties, he still kept going and wasn't afraid to take many risks. I also learned a whole lot things that I had no idea about before reading the biography, some facts were really quite surprising. Alongside the facts about business and technology, particularly towards the end, we learned more about how Jobs dealt with the news of his very poor health and the fact that he had cancer - it was incredibly heartfelt, and I was shedding a tear by the end. It's so sad that such a hugely creative mind is no longer with us, but through learning about him and his products, I'm sure that Apple will still have even more genius to unveil.

Steve Jobs once said "Your time is limited... have the courage to follow your heart and intuition" - no other words could be more appropriate to his actions in his, sadly shortened, life. Blumenthal has done his story justice though, and has certainly made me want to abide by his words of "stay hungry, stay foolish." A fantastic biography, for both teenagers and adults alike, that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about Jobs, Apple and/or Pixar.(less)

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Dec 07, 2012 Weston W. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

This book goes into an in depth view of the innovator Steve Jobs. It shows his childhood friends, adulthood, and even gives information about things that were initially hidden from the public. This book travels through his child hood and on up to the day he died. With expertly written words that describe with clarity, the author tells the full truth.
What I mean by truth is that it is not filled with thoughts that he was a great person, or that he was bad. The Author did a great job of exposin...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Homeschoolmama rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this book up during our vacation. I'd wanted to read a book about Jobs for awhile now, and just couldn't bring myself to do it, for some reason. Maybe because my son is often making disparaging remarks about how stingy Jobs was, and unreasonable... and nasty... um, well, all of that is true! But despite Jobs personality flaws, he was a fascinating character. Creative, driven, obsessive and brilliant. I like reading about quirky people who manage to be successful even though they are abr...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Darsana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, books-i-own

The dilemma when it comes to writing a review of a biography is that you don't know what / who you're reviewing. Is it the book or the subject of the book?
If it's the book then I would say this one deserves 4/5. It's not overly done but appropriately poignant, especially in the last chapters.
If it's the person, then to be honest it deserves a 4 but owing to the high expectations Steve Jobs used to place on himself and everyone else around him, I'm going to go ahead and humor his fancy and give...more

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Feb 19, 2012 ~Kate~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, autobiographies, own, recommend, 5-stars, arc

I got an email from Bloomsbury asking if anyone wanted to read this and I took awhile to think about it as it's not my usual book but they have sent be books that I have asked for in the past and loved most so I thought I would try it.

I am so glad I agreed to reviewing this book as I was hooked and read it in only a couple of days which usually takes me a lot longer to read my books.

It was such an interesting book that told me all about the history of Apple and if you knew me you would know I lo...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, paper-books, work-reviews, yalsa-best-of-the-best-2013

Wow. What a jerk.

I am an Apple user. I bought an iMac back in 2002 (the upside down pot-flat screen version) and upgraded to a MacBookPro in 2009. I also have three iPods-an iTouch that I use now just for audiobooks (since I just got a Samsung smartphone), and a Shuffle and a Nano that I use for running. I like the products a lot.

But with all of that, I was never one who was into the cult of personality around Jobs. And now I'm really glad of that. And I kinda have a new appreciation for Bill G...more

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May 05, 2013 Lucus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book shows the incredible life of Steve Jobs, from messing with electronic parts to being an incredibly well-known CEO. You get to learn about his time in college and his eventual dropout. Then we find out about him starting Apple. After that, he and his company grew in power until he was an industry leader with world-changing products like the iPhone and iPad.

I was overwhelmed and amazed by this excellent tale of Steve Jobs. I feel it goes into just the right amount of detail to become thr...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Name: Michelle Muro
Citation: Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve Jobs: The man who thought different. New York, NY: Feiwel & Friends.
Genre: Biography
Format: Print
Selection Process: YALSA Website

Review:

Blumenthal uses the outline of Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech to write this interesting biography. Starting from his adoption at birth, she narrates his life as he eventually drops out of college, creates Apple with his friend Steve Wozniack in his parents’ garage, becomes a husband and fat...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Jenna Goodall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, non-fiction, hub-challenge

This Steve Jobs bio was very readable. The book focused on both his personal life and his business. Although sometimes the back and forth between the two made the book feel somewhat choppy, both parts were immensely interesting. I quickly realized that I did not like Steve Jobs at all as a person and didn't know how I'd feel about reading a whole bio about him... but his life was so fascinating that even my dislike for him didn't hinder my interest in reading more. One issue I had with the book...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Gayle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This portrayal of Jobs has changed my view of him. He was a man who cared for only what he thought and seemed a bully. Not an endearing portrayal, he was harsh, a bully, didn't share his fortune and single minded even to the detriment of his health and family, but he was responsible for several remarkable changes to the business landscape.
As the author says " he wasn't the creator of the personal computer, but he was the voice and the face of the revolution. He didn't make the wonderful Pixar m...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Joella www.cinjoella.com rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, non-fiction, yalsa-best-of-the-best-2013, young-adult

I read this book as part of the YALSA’s nonfiction challenge.

Who was Steve Jobs? Why was he so important in the computer industry? The music industry? The phone industry? How could one man make such a difference in the world? This is a great biography that goes through all these questions, and helps young adults understand the person who made it possible for them to have the technology in their pocket that they do.

I liked the book. It gave good insight and personality to a person who was just a...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Brandon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-books-brandon

I am a fiction reader, through and through. I only picked this book up on a recommendation of a co-worker and I am glad I did. I might have been better off reading the official biography by Walter Isaacson (referenced numerous times in this book), but this was available as an e-book from my library and his wasn't. However, I do think that despite not knowing Jobs personally, Blumenthal paints a beautiful picture of his life, choosing to paint his strengths and weaknesses into a portrait of overa...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Cassandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought thhe introductory chapter of this biography opened up with a heroic, engaging and entertaining beginning. It also gave the readers a taste of readers what this biography will talk about Steve Job’s life and the view that the author has towards Steve Jobs. The first few chapters of this biography was promising, we can observe that the author adopts humour to absorb the audience. However I felt the novel took a turn when he was plainly describing the achievements one after another. Compa...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-nonfiction

This gracefully written biography of the founder and spirit behind Apple computers and the iworld covers is grand reading. Organizing her material around the three stories he told at his Stanford University commencement speech, Blumenthal covers his life from conception and adoption to death as well as his remarkable career. There's plenty about the business world and about the development of personal computers but also details of his personal habits - eating, bathing, dressing - that will intri...more

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