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Steve Jobs

by Walter Isaacson

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 220,236 ratings · 11,789 reviews

From best-selling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmark biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

In Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account of Jobs' professional and personal life. Drawn from three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted with Jobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs' family me...more

Hardcover, 656 pages

Published October 24th 2011 by Simon & Schuster (first published 2011)

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May 10, 2014 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, 2011

Steve Jobs was a damn dirty hippie.

He didn't much like to shower or wear shoes. He believed his diet kept him from getting stinky, not true apparently. In fact he was quite odd and obsessive about his diets, he would go on kicks where he would eat nothing but carrots for long periods of time until he turned orange. This makes me wonder if these strange eating habits brought on his cancer. Who can say?

Steve Jobs was an asshat.

He was an ass to everyone, even Steve Wozniak, who by everyone's stand...more

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Dec 03, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, autobiography-biography

There are three things necessary for a great biography:

1. A compelling subject
2. An engaging narrative
3. Accuracy

Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs has all three.

Steve Jobs was a fascinating person whose powerful personality and extraordinary life make for a very compelling read. He revolutionized many different technological and entertainment industries by successfully blending technology and the liberal arts, giving consumers products they didn't even know they wanted. He was able to defy reality by...more There are three things necessary for a great biography:

1. A compelling subject
2. An engaging narrative
3. Accuracy

Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs has all three.

Steve Jobs was a fascinating person whose powerful personality and extraordinary life make for a very compelling read. He revolutionized many different technological and entertainment industries by successfully blending technology and the liberal arts, giving consumers products they didn't even know they wanted. He was able to defy reality by simply refusing to accept it (a phenomenon referred to as his "reality distortion field"), enabling him to do the impossible. On a personal level, Jobs was a very sensitive and emotional man, yet he was unable to empathize with the feelings of others, which, along with his "reality distortion field," led to him act in unsavory ways towards people in both his personal and professional life. After reading this book it was easy to understand why Jobs is such a polarizing figure. But whether you love or hate him, it's impossible to deny that he had a major impact on the world, or that he was an interesting person.

Isaacson's narrative style is engaging. Rather than listing a bunch of facts and quotes, which would make for a very dull read, he uses them to construct a story about Jobs' life. The book is also structured in a logical fashion. Although largely chronological, the chapters do center around certain themes. Isaacson also avoids getting bogged down by technological details, which can be a temptation in a book that features a computer company. Even when the technological aspects of a product are necessary to illustrate a point, they are explained simply so that even a reader who is not tech savvy can understand.

In terms of accuracy, I can only judge based on what I know from other sources as well as my impression after reading the biography. I do not have the resources or connections to go through every assertion made and verify them. I can, however, assess whether or not Isaacson appeared to be presenting an overly positive or negative picture. I believe that Isaacson presents a realistic picture of Jobs that includes both the positive and negative sides to his personality. Jobs comes across as a real person with a lot of flaws and perhaps a mental illness, but who has also accomplished some amazing things. I did not get the feeling that Isaacson was trying to whitewash or defame him.

This is not to say that Isaacson is unbiased, but I have yet to find a biographer who isn't. A biographer must be passionate about his or her subject in order to devote the time needed to write a thorough biography, and with passion comes bias, whether positive or negative. Isaacson was positively biased towards Jobs, however, this did not prevent him from exposing the darker side of Jobs' personality. He also contradicts Jobs' own statements with both facts and other people's accounts. I appreciated that he included both sides of a story. However, he does tend to justify Jobs' obnoxious behavior and negative personality traits by reminding the reader that these behaviors and traits also led him to do great things, and achieve the impossible. It often seems as though Isaacson is implying that the ends justify the means, although the reader is able to form his or her own opinion. If you can ignore Isaacson's apologetic tone, which is present throughout, the biography does present a balanced picture of Jobs.

Overall, I really enjoyed this biography. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Steve Jobs, Apple, or is interested in particularly influential people. Although Pixar plays a much smaller role, there are also some interesting stories about how Pixar came to be what it is today. I would not recommend this biography to Apple haters or Steve Jobs haters due to Isaacson's apologetic presentation of Jobs' negative traits, nor would I recommend it to fans who would rather remember an idealized version of Jobs. Also, I'd caution readers to remember that this is a biography about Steve Jobs, not about the history of Apple. While Apple is featured in this biography quite a bit since it was a huge part of Jobs' life, more so than his other companies or even his family, there are pieces of Apple's story that are missing or glossed over, presumably because in the grand scheme of Jobs' life, they were not that important. If you are looking for a complete profile of Apple, this is not it, although it will give you some interesting insights into the company, and provide a detailed, though incomplete, history.

Disclaimer: I think it's important to note my personal history with Apple. I have been drinking the Apple koolaid for about twenty years, which is most of my life. In high school, I used to get into debates with people over whether Macs or PCs were better, often being the only Mac defender in a group arguing for PCs. Like any Apple fanatic, I've regarded Steve Jobs with a sort of reverence usually reserved for rock stars and actors. I was, therefore, deeply interested in reading about his life. Take what you will from my review given my feelings towards Apple, and the man who made the company what it is today.(less)

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May 18, 2014 Petra Xtra Crunchy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-true-story

Edited (at the end) to reflect just how cool I am now! I know a lot of people would disagree with that, but not all. (view spoiler)

This is a fantastically well-written and exhaustive biography of a brilliant, if flawed, man, with no holds barred. Jobs great achievement was to marry an uncompromisingly zen creativity to el...more

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Dec 03, 2013 Lynne Spreen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. I'm halfway through this book and, while it's well-written and interesting, I can't get over what a jerk SJ was. Yes, he was brilliant and all that. But he seemed to view other humans as nothing more than ants in his ant farm, sub-biologicals that he could squish whenever he felt like it. And did.

Some might say that his gifts to tech development, that he changed and invented whole industries, would compensate. Maybe the two things went together, cruelty and brilliance.

But the lesson to be...more

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Nov 10, 2011 karen marked it as oh-dear

so, we are having the event for this book at our store tonight. the number of people calling up to ask if steve jobs will also be present to sign is staggering. in other words, "i care enough about steve jobs to want to read a 600+ page book about him, but i am somehow unaware that he is deceased."

is what i hope. the alternative is ghoulish and i do not want to entertain it.

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Nov 15, 2011 3Jane Tessier-Ashpool rated it 3 of 5 stars

My background is as a post-1979 punk rocker. So naturally I view all dope-gorging smelly long hair Dylan-worshiping hippies with a certain amount of suspicion and disdain.

The author shows, on a page-by-page basis, what an insufferable asshole Steve Jobs was. I'm not exaggerating. But the book left me wondering: why? how did he become this way?

The book is fairly well researched, but except for a precious few anecdotes about his youth, very little is said about his upbringing. I'd really like to k...more

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Feb 02, 2014 Riku Sayuj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Riku by: Amit Haralalka

Shelves: biographies, r-r-rs

Never expected to find this much enjoyment reading a biography. Isaacson has truly done a wonderful job with this book.

For those who are too busy to read the entire book, please try to grab a quick read of the last two chapters of the book at a book store or airport or someplace - These chapters are a concise summary of the entire book as well as the thesis Isaacson builds up to throughout the book. Besides, it will probably make you buy and read the whole thing anyway.

To call this man a "Great...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Otis Chandler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: business, biography, favorites

This is an amazing inside view into the life of one of the great businessmen of our era. A must read.

The thing that struck me most about Steve Jobs was that he was an incredible perfectionist. He was a craftsman, and wanted the computers he built to be beautiful and amazing and useful. He believed that computers were "at the intersection of technology and liberal arts" - a phrase he used a lot - because he realized computers weren't just for geeks. They are for everyone, and needed to be able t...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Peter added it

Executive summary of Isaacson's "Steve Jobs":

- Remove everything that is unnecessary.
- Be ruthless about building an A team.
- Make stuff you believe in.
- Collaborate often through vigorous discussion.
- Push yourself and others to do the impossible now.
- Make great experiences by simplifying.
- Own your work and protect it.
- Live at intersection of intellect and intuition.

But these are not spoilers. The drama of this biography is in the decisions Jobs' made, the way he followed through on these id...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I downloaded the e-book on my iPad (quite fitting) Sun. night and stayed up until the very wee hours reading (on a work night, no less). Isaacson's writing style is very engaging and, at least so far, he seems to be embarking on a no holds barred, honest portrayal of this very admired, feared, respected, despised, controversial titan of industry.
As a college senior in '85, watching the iconic "1984" commercial, reading all about SJ & Woz and how they wanted to "change the world", I made it...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: allow-myself-to-introduce-myself

Oops! The publishers forgot to include a subtitle, so I've taken the liberty of helping them come up with one. May I suggest:

Steve Jobs: Unrelenting Narcissist, Suspected Sociopath and Giant Fucking Asshole

Isaacson writes a great biography: He tells a coherent, cohesive story, he interviews all the players and most important he doesn't feel the need to hoist his subject on a pedestal with his pen. When it comes to carrying a story, our author did all the right things.

His subject, however, left m...more Oops! The publishers forgot to include a subtitle, so I've taken the liberty of helping them come up with one. May I suggest:

Steve Jobs: Unrelenting Narcissist, Suspected Sociopath and Giant Fucking Asshole

Isaacson writes a great biography: He tells a coherent, cohesive story, he interviews all the players and most important he doesn't feel the need to hoist his subject on a pedestal with his pen. When it comes to carrying a story, our author did all the right things.

His subject, however, left much to be desired. It's startling to see how someone can be so immensely successful in one aspect of his life and such a complete, utter failure in virtually every other. To illuminate just a few of the many failings of Steve Jobs, allow me to expound upon my proposed subtitle:

Unrelenting Narcissist: It's true that if you're going to launch a business in a cutthroat industry and be willing to fight to the death to succeed, you gotta believe in yourself. Jobs, however, took a little positive self-esteem to a whole new level and chose to recreate truth to position himself in the best light. He steals the concept of the GUI from Xerox and it's collaborative sharing, but Microsoft does, well, anything and it's because they're thieves, and we have no respect for thieves. Good ideas? He took credit for them, even if he would veto them upon first review. The man truly believed he could do no wrong, and I can't help but think he probably, just before taking his last breath, was thinking, "Well there goes the future of Apple."

Suspected Sociopath: To be clear, I'm using the term "sociopath" like I would if I were Wong's junior psychologist on SVU: that is, to define someone with an anti-social personality disorder. The man - Jobs, not Wong; Wong is amazing - fit the profile to a T: Despite having the ability to charm someone's head off when he needed to, Jobs had an absolute lack of genuine regard for almost everyone around him - his wife, his employees, his poor, cast-aside daughters (his son seemed to escape his scorn, which is a charmingly sexist detail), even his supporters (I can't bring myself to call them friends) who were there for him from the beginning. If a person could not - or could no longer - provide a benefit to Jobs, he would cast them aside...but not before cruelly shitting mounds of aggression and abuse all over their bare heads. See? Sociopath.

Giant Fucking Asshole: There are seriously almost too many examples of this to count, but let me curate a sample for your consideration. 1). He screwed one of the founding members of Apple out of founders stock that would now be practically priceless. 2). He thinks he can explain away the abuse he doled out to employees by saying that was "just who I am." Seriously? Do you not think that the people around you want to rip your head off every single day? They do, I assure you. But you know what? They hold it in, because collaborative, encouraging environments are better for everyone (unless you're a narcissist and/or a sociopath, in which case, see above). 3). There's something atrocious about a multi-multi-multi-billionaire who can envision how personal computers/GUIs/the mouse/touchscreens/computer animation/digital music/tablets/etc. can change the world for rich consumers, but who can't see that a fraction of his wealth could have changed the world for people who don't have water.

It's undeniable that Jobs was fantastically talented and will go down in the books as one of the great visionaries in history. I'm writing my review on my MacBook, and both my iPhone and my iPad (as well as a slew of iPods, Nanos and Shuffles) are nearby, so I guess the guy was doing something right. Still, I don't believe that being an asshole is the answer, and I don't believe it gets better results; it may not get worse results, but if today's Apple is what he created with vinegar, then I'd love to see what he could have done with honey.(less)

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Aug 01, 2014 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, biography, innovation, design, business, technology

I had to be convinced by a GR friend to read this book, similarly to how Isaacson had to be convinced to write it.

Back in 2004, Steve Jobs approached Isaacson and asked if he was interested in writing Jobs' biography. Isaacson declined several times, thinking that it was too soon to write one and that it would be better to wait a few decades. It wasn't until 2009 when Jobs' wife bluntly told him that Jobs was seriously ill from cancer and that there was little time to lose. Isaacson said he hadn...more I had to be convinced by a GR friend to read this book, similarly to how Isaacson had to be convinced to write it.

Back in 2004, Steve Jobs approached Isaacson and asked if he was interested in writing Jobs' biography. Isaacson declined several times, thinking that it was too soon to write one and that it would be better to wait a few decades. It wasn't until 2009 when Jobs' wife bluntly told him that Jobs was seriously ill from cancer and that there was little time to lose. Isaacson said he hadn't known Jobs was sick; she said few people knew and that Jobs had been trying to keep it a secret.

Isaacson finally agreed to write the biography, and Jobs agreed that he wouldn't have any control over the book, which was rare, considering how controlling and demanding he had been over all the various projects at Apple.

I had been reluctant to read this book for several reasons. First, because Jobs was a known jackass and I wasn't that interested in reading the various examples of his jackassery. Second, I am not a techie, and while I like and use Apple products every day, I was hesitant to spend my precious reading time on a tech book. Thirdly, this bio is more than 600 pages long! That seemed excessive.

A solution was found in an audiobook (read by Dylan Baker), and I am glad I gave it a chance. I was won over early on in the book, when Isaacson included a quote from Jobs in the introduction:

"'I always thought of myself as a humanities person as a kid, but I liked electronics,' he said. 'Then I read something that one of my heroes, Edwin Land of Polaroid, said about the importance of people who could stand at the intersection of humanities and sciences, and I decided that's what I wanted to do.' It was as if he were suggesting themes for his biography (and in this instance, at least, the theme turned out to be valid). The creativity that can occur when a feel for both the humanities and the sciences combine in one strong personality was the topic that most interested me in my biographies of Franklin and Einstein, and I believe that it will be a key to creating innovative economies in the twenty-first century."

Now THAT is a theme I can get behind. I love the idea of combining artistry and technology, and it's true that Jobs and Apple excelled at creating innovative and beautiful products. Despite my hesitation, I ended up enjoying the stories of how Jobs got his start in computers, and how he met and started collaborating with Steve Wozniak, and the evolution of products at Apple over the decades. Growing up in the 80s, I frequently used those early Apple computers. My friends and I played games on them, and I wrote my school reports on them. Apple computers were just so cool.

I liked learning the details of how Jobs helped design the products, including his emphasis that even the parts that are not seen should be beautiful and well-built. He had learned this at a young age from his father, who was a mechanic and a craftsman, and he taught Steve to make sure that the back of something was crafted just as well as the front, even if no one saw it. Jobs took the spirit of artistry very seriously, and always insisted that the designers at Apple were making art with their products. He even had his design team sign the inside of the computer frames, just as a painter would, even though no one but them knew it was there.

Another part of the book that I found interesting was Jobs' history with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with whom he had a fiercely competitive but (mostly) respectful relationship. The two men had very different ideas about system design, and computer techies will probably enjoy the debate of open vs. closed systems.

A lot has been written about what a jerk Jobs could be, including telling people to their face that they sucked, that their designs sucked, and that they should be fired for their suckitude. It is also true that he was a dirty hippie, and in the early days of Apple, colleagues had to beg him to take a shower. (Jobs thought that because he was a vegetarian, he didn't need to bathe.) At certain points, I was infuriated with Jobs, both over his treatment of others and later, over his refusal to deal with his cancer diagnosis. When he first learned he was ill, he defied his doctor's advice and delayed having surgery to remove the tumors, giving them months to spread. While impossible to prove, it is likely he could have greatly extended his life had he not been so stubborn in avoiding modern medicine.

In the end, I admit I was fascinated by Steve Jobs. He had a remarkable life and career, and while it is a cliche, his products helped change the world. I would highly recommend this biography.
(less)

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Oct 30, 2011 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm still not entirely sure what to think. I keep flipflopping between annoyed/disgusted and inspired.

I applaud Isaacson for putting a masterful bio together without succumbing to the Reality Distortion Field and vomiting out a piece of Jobs-worship like some Apple/Steve-related books out there. I also really appreciate all these little anecdotes, some that I have seen before and others that are new and all the more enjoyable, that people that knew and interacted with Steve shared in one way or...more I'm still not entirely sure what to think. I keep flipflopping between annoyed/disgusted and inspired.

I applaud Isaacson for putting a masterful bio together without succumbing to the Reality Distortion Field and vomiting out a piece of Jobs-worship like some Apple/Steve-related books out there. I also really appreciate all these little anecdotes, some that I have seen before and others that are new and all the more enjoyable, that people that knew and interacted with Steve shared in one way or another.

On the other hand, I like my personal heroes to have a smidgen of friendly and positive virtues like courtesy and generosity. This book blows away many times over any idea I had that Steve might have been a nice guy at heart with occasional and sometimes very public extremism. The stories related to his daughters and many other women in his personal life nauseated me. I'm frustrated that what I already knew to be his horrifying but effective work attitude also crossed over to his personal life. I appreciate his work and his efforts and he is singlehandedly responsible for me being what I am today, but I despise myself at the moment for having thought this dickless asshole as an awesome role model when I was younger. I wasn't expecting perfection in this regard since we are all human after all, but it was eye opening to see the whole picture in a single book.

But that is what I signed up for when I decided to read a no holds barred official bio of Steve, I suppose. Good and bad and worse, all packaged together in a book that is no less beautiful than the products Apple puts out.

Tomorrow, I will probably feel bad about this review and feel more inspired by the positive aspects of this bio to push myself harder to work better and to do what is right, like Steve would have done. Then the next day I will be frustrated that he didn't have surgery sooner and think about the what ifs. Rinse, repeat.

edit: Tomorrow is today... and Mona's eulogy for her brother is in the NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opi...). I think that wonderful eulogy brought more tears to my eyes than this bio or even his death did. Short, simple but beautiful, and more importantly, shows me another side of Steve that is more like the person I thought he was before I read the bio. The side that cared about his family but was hindered by the cancer, spreading and getting worse. Thanks for restoring my faith, Mona.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was a little surprised when Steve Jobs died that I actually had an emotional reaction of loss. He was always such a warrior for technological evolution, conceiving products that we didn't know we needed until we held them in our hands. I didn't know I needed an iPod, now I can't travel anywhere without slipping 13,000 songs into my pocket. I now have a playlist for any situation, a wedding, a long drive, robbing a bank, meditation etc. What was so unique about Jobs was that he was a creative p...more I was a little surprised when Steve Jobs died that I actually had an emotional reaction of loss. He was always such a warrior for technological evolution, conceiving products that we didn't know we needed until we held them in our hands. I didn't know I needed an iPod, now I can't travel anywhere without slipping 13,000 songs into my pocket. I now have a playlist for any situation, a wedding, a long drive, robbing a bank, meditation etc. What was so unique about Jobs was that he was a creative person who also had the power to bring a progressive product to life. Good ideas did not die in committee at Apple or Pixar. For some reason conservative leaning people elevate to the highest positions in business in this country. Apple also went through a period of time when Jobs was too radical for a board of directors who wanted to make Apple more like other companies. After reading this biography, I know now that Jobs deserved to be ousted, and what a great occurrence for the world because Pixar would have never been created. He benefited from his time away, learning lessons of consolidating power. When Apple floundered and Jobs was brought back he was much better equipped to lead a company

I have always been mystified by the divisions in the country between Apple and Microsoft. I have owned a lot more Apple products than I have PC based products. So without even realizing I guess at some point I joined team Jobs. I used Apples and PCs without really thinking I was being disloyal to a brand, but I have been on the periphery of many heated arguments discussing the merits of PC versus the merits of Macs. I always felt that Jobs was the guy with the concepts and ideas and Gates was sitting around twiddling his thumbs waiting for Jobs to come up with the next "great thing" so he could clone it. There is more truth in that statement than fervent PC believers would like to admit.

One of Jobs ex-girlfriends happened to read in a psychiatric manual about Narcissistic personality Disorder and decided that Jobs perfectly met the criteria. "It fit so well and explained so much of what we had struggled with, that I realized expecting him to be nicer or less self-centered was like expecting a blind man to see." Jobs was brutal to his employees, to his family, and to his business partners. One of his favorite lines when looking at a new concept was to say "this is shit". He was a ranter, skilled with skewering insults, contemptuously rude, and yet so sensitive to any slight. When faced with a fond memory or a beautiful concept that he loved he would burst into tears. To say the least, being in the Steve Jobs orbit would have been not only stressful, but confusing. The people that did the best with him were the people that pushed through the "distortion field" that Jobs was nestled in his whole life. For all his failings as a human being and as a boss he was also a talented communicator inspiring people way beyond what they thought they were capable of accomplishing. He firmly believed that nothing was worth doing unless it was going to change the world and that belief was infectious to those that worked with him.

When Steve Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer I can remember thinking to myself that no one had ever beaten that form of cancer, but I also thought to myself if anyone can it would be Steve Jobs. His money bought him time. They were able to map the gene of the cancer that was trying to kill him and better target chemo and drugs that would most effectively control the growth of the cancer. "One of his doctors told him that there was hope that his cancer, and others like it, would soon be considered a manageable chronic disease, which could be kept at bay until the patient died of something else." As Jobs said, "I'm either going to be one of the first to be able to outrun a cancer like this, or I'm going to be one of the last to die from it." As we know he lost his battle with cancer, but certainly the money he threw at the disease will end up benefiting all of us.

Walter Isaacson is an excellent biographer, I enjoyed his Benjamin Franklin bio very much and intend to read the Einstein biography as well. Steve approached Isaacson to write his biography and Isaacson asked him if he wanted him to write it because he associated himself with Einstein and Franklin. Jobs didn't deny it. He was well aware of his place in history. I liked Steve Jobs more before reading this biography. I have a deeper understanding of how and why he was so successful. I can not emulate his management style nor would I ever want to. He was a destructive personality that inspired creativity. I feel we are diminished by his absence from the ranks and I can only hope there is a young person in a messy garage, tinkering with the concept that will be the next "thing" that will change our lives. (less)

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Feb 08, 2014 Zac rated it 3 of 5 stars

In a way, I regard this book as a balanced biography. Even though Walter Isaacson is apparently unsatisfied with having gotten all of Steve Jobs's shaft into his mouth and spends a lot of time sucking on Jobs's balls, his recounting of Steve Jobs's behavior left me unavoidably with the impression that Steve Jobs was a world-class asshole. Jobs is presented as so much of a whining, pathetic bully that I find myself glad that he died of pancreatic cancer, and I also find myself regretting that he...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Nawal Al-Qussyer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 104-books-in-2011-project

قرأته قبل شهرين، ولعلي أتذكر انطباعي التام عنه وأنا أكتب المراجعة متأخرة

هذا الكتاب هو كما يبدو، سيرة ذاتية للراحل ستيف جوبز الغني عن التعريف، طلب ستيف من والتر أن يكتب سيرته الذاتية، وكان صريحا فيها تماما وكان يقول له أكتب ماتريده وماقلته ولن أقوم بقراءة السيرة أصلا.
ذهلت كثيرا عند قراءتي لسيرته.لأسباب عديدة
كان كتاب طويلاومليء بالمواقف المهمة والأخرى الغير مهمة، والأخرى التي تفضح لك شخصية ستيف بدون أي محسنات

ذهللت كثيرا من الصراحة التامة ، وظهور ستيف جوبز كما هو، بدون تلميع للصورة وبدون أي تبجيل...more قرأته قبل شهرين، ولعلي أتذكر انطباعي التام عنه وأنا أكتب المراجعة متأخرة

هذا الكتاب هو كما يبدو، سيرة ذاتية للراحل ستيف جوبز الغني عن التعريف، طلب ستيف من والتر أن يكتب سيرته الذاتية، وكان صريحا فيها تماما وكان يقول له أكتب ماتريده وماقلته ولن أقوم بقراءة السيرة أصلا.
ذهلت كثيرا عند قراءتي لسيرته.لأسباب عديدة
كان كتاب طويلاومليء بالمواقف المهمة والأخرى الغير مهمة، والأخرى التي تفضح لك شخصية ستيف بدون أي محسنات

ذهللت كثيرا من الصراحة التامة ، وظهور ستيف جوبز كما هو، بدون تلميع للصورة وبدون أي تبجيل لشخصه، بل على العكس تماما. في بعض المقاطع تجد صراحة كيف يتحدث الاخرون عن رائحته الغير جيدة، وإجبارهم له للاستحمام. وهذه نقطة أكبرتها في الكتاب - طبعا من بيئة مثل بيئتا تبجل الأشخاص ماذا تتوقع مني إلا أن أكبرها؟-
الصراحة في هذه السيرة مذهلة، وهذا شيء يحسب لستيف و والتر و أصدقاء ستيفز

مضيت وقت جيد في قراءة التاب، وكان وقت طويلا لأني أصبت ببعض الملل.
بكيت كثيرا في الكتاب - في طفولته بالطبع - ودهشت من القدر فالدنيا رغم اتساعها الا انها صغيرة حيث كان يأكل في مطعم والده البيولوجي بدون معرفة بعضهما البعض. ضضحكت كثيرا كثيرا، واستمتعت، أحيانا كانت شخصيته وصراحة باعثة للضحك. لكني رغم هذا لم أشعر بقطرة إلهام.
وهذا ماجعل السيرة بالنسبة لي غير استثنائية على الإطلاق.

والتر كاتب رائع، الجمل سلسلة وقابلة للفهم بكل سولة، لم أواجه أي صعوبة ولم أحتاج لدكشنري وأنا أقرأ.
كانت سيرة متكاملة ومكتوبة جيدا، سيرة صريحة لرجل سيبقى في أذهاننا طويلا.

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Nov 17, 2011 William rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am a little surprised this book ended up being such a disappointment. Walter Isaacson just doesn't know that much about the tech industry and, despite the opportunity and access, didn't learn enough to make it interesting. The one saving grace was the participation of Steve Jobs, his friends, and family, and this alone rescues the book from a lower rating.

Granted, this biography is meant for a mass audience, not someone who is a regular listener of Apple podcasts (yes, like me). The early cha...more

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May 30, 2014 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Caroline by: Simon Howard

Shelves: 5-star-books

To date all my computer fanship has been geared towards Linus Torvalds and Linux, even though (for now) I limp along grumpily with Windows. Steve Jobs and Apple? Pah! I couldn't bear the snobbish one-upmanship rantings of Apple and it's aficionados. It was therefore with some hesitancy I approached Steve Jobs's biography. Someone I follow here at GR had recommended it, plus it had been sitting on a shelf in the library forever and I kept bumping into it.

So, in spite of my reservations I took it...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Andy Matuschak added it

Isaacson's book reads just like a Time Magazine. I hate Time Magazine.

He prefers telling to showing in his prose, reminds us of his theses whenever they apply, and conveys emotion via bludgeoning, shallow diction. It's that last point that most bothers me, since it leaked into his disappointing performance as an interviewer as well: for instance, he notes dozens of times that someone wept after some event but does not follow up with questions of "why? would you have reacted that way now? how do...more Isaacson's book reads just like a Time Magazine. I hate Time Magazine.

He prefers telling to showing in his prose, reminds us of his theses whenever they apply, and conveys emotion via bludgeoning, shallow diction. It's that last point that most bothers me, since it leaked into his disappointing performance as an interviewer as well: for instance, he notes dozens of times that someone wept after some event but does not follow up with questions of "why? would you have reacted that way now? how do you think this affected others? how did that influence your decision-making? etc."

When Isaacson turned—rarely—to analysis, interpretation, and abstraction, he provided little additional depth. The author rarely examined his subject's assertions and ideologies critically. This book, then, is useful not so much as a biography but rather as simply a primary source of quotations and accounts. That's tragic because it's almost certainly the best one we're going to get, yet because of its focus on products over people, it's missing so, so much.

Why did Jobs seem to prefer Reed to his daughters? How did Laurene put up with his behavior, and to what extent did she think it necessary to his accomplishments? Did Jobs feel that the ends justify the means with respect to his products, or did he simply fail to notice his often-nasty means? Did he believe that one must behave interpersonally with moral disregard to achieve as he did; if so, why? How would he explain Cook's success via absolutely orthogonal style? How did Laurene feel about his lingering feeling for Redse? What would his board say to the author's implied allegation that they are essentially his puppets?

There is so much fascinating depth to Jobs's story that is simply not considered. It's this depth and understanding, I feel, that matters: after all, aren't all of us reading this biography because we wish we could replicate Jobs's achievements, yearn to walk a vicarious mile in his shoes, wonder just how much it cost him? Having finished the book, I'm left wondering whether I have trouble empathizing with Jobs because I simply can't understand his moral and rational framework—or because Isaacson's account is so frustratingly impersonal and shallow.(less)

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May 05, 2012 Tressa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, technology, 2012, biography

I knew that I would enjoy this book after reading the first few pages, but it far exceeded my expectations. I love learning the history behind products that I use or am familiar with, and Walter Isaacson's book lays out the history of every product Steve Job's is responsible for.

Laurene Powell, Jobs' wife, told Isaacson that she didn't want her husband's life whitewashed, and he certainly didn't. Along with Steve the brilliant innovator who knew how to bring together an A-list team of loyal emp...more

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Jan 09, 2014 Chrissie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science, bio, downpour, 2014-read

I liked this book very, very much. We all have heard about Steve Jobs, but he is in fact a person even more magnetic than all the wild tidbits you have heard before. Isaacson never white-washes the man. You get something very close to the truth. This man was inconsiderate, down-right mean and often obnoxious, and yet at the same time he had magnetism, a force that is inspiring. He went after his goals, and he never shied from stating an unpleasant truth. He and his company stood for beautiful pr...more I liked this book very, very much. We all have heard about Steve Jobs, but he is in fact a person even more magnetic than all the wild tidbits you have heard before. Isaacson never white-washes the man. You get something very close to the truth. This man was inconsiderate, down-right mean and often obnoxious, and yet at the same time he had magnetism, a force that is inspiring. He went after his goals, and he never shied from stating an unpleasant truth. He and his company stood for beautiful products; he gave us products that we didn't even know we needed, but once you have them you cannot live without them. They are perfect; they are a delight to hold, they have a magic that other gadgets just do not have. He has tied creativity and imagination and technology all into one perfect, simplified product that is complete from start to finish. Who was this man, into Zen Buddhism, a vegan and a p-e-r-f-e-c-t-i-o-n-i-s-t above all? Working with him must have been pure hell ......and yet how often do you get to work with such an exceptional, demanding, creative person. At the same time he was a talented business entrepreneur.

So why not five stars? You learn about Steve, but I would have liked to learn more about his wife and his children - who they really were. How did they cope with such a spouse, such a father! You will not understand this question until you understand who Steve was. Secondly, quite often technical terms are used and they are not explained or defined. Perhaps many others know these but I didn't. Maybe the paper book has a dictionary at the end? The amazing thing is that even without any definitions being given, by the end of the book you have come to understand them. The book does educate the reader in the field of computer science.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dylan Baker, with the epilogue narrated by the author, Walter Isaacson. Baker did a fantastic job of expressing the personality of Steve. He was a rebel and a Hippie and he lost his temper and swore. At the same time he was a fantastic business leader; he created the most valuable company in the world. His most popular word was shit, and if swear words are going to bother you I recommend you look elsewhere. I told you he had a temper. Anyhow, with Baker speaking, I often thought, this is Steve talking!

You just have to read this book to rub shoulders with such a personality. The man was exceptional. I have my doubts that Apple, as it was defined by him, can ever be the same without him.
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Feb 22, 2012 Jeanette "Astute Crabbist" rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: america, biography-memoir, nonfiction

Walter Isaacson often uses the word "prickly" in reference to Steve Jobs's personality and management style. Remove the "ly" and you'll be closer to the truth. 'Nuff said.

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Feb 29, 2012 أشرف فقيه rated it 5 of 5 stars

لم أشعر بالحزن حين مات ستيف جوبز، لكني استشعرت الفقد وفداحة الخسارة حين وصلت لنهاية هذه السيرة التي تستعرض حياة أحد أهم الشخصيات التي صنعت ملامح حياتنا المعاصرة.
لقد كان جوبز شخصية فذة واستثنائية‘ في فهمه للحياة وفي فرضه لنمط من الإدارة والتصميم، في مجالات الحوسبة والاتصال والأفلام والموسيقى، تركت بصمة لا تمحى علينا جميعاً.
تم تأليف هذه السيرة بتكليف من جوبز نفسه الذي عرف أن السرطان لن يمهله فأراد أن يترك لأبنائه.. وللعالم أيضاً وصفاً لحياته الحافلة القصيرة.
أسلوب الكاتب رائع جداً وغير ممل بالرغم م...more

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Jan 10, 2012 J rated it 3 of 5 stars

I saw Walter Isaacson on the Charlie Rose Show, and bought the book with reservations since I had previously read his biography of Einstein where I found the author's concern with minutiae annoying and his writing style lack-luster at times. This didn't happen so much with Steve Jobs' Biography.

I recall Isaacson stating rather early in the book that he might be accused of writing something apologetic and perhaps maybe even stand accused of being under the spell of one of the most influential pe...more I saw Walter Isaacson on the Charlie Rose Show, and bought the book with reservations since I had previously read his biography of Einstein where I found the author's concern with minutiae annoying and his writing style lack-luster at times. This didn't happen so much with Steve Jobs' Biography.

I recall Isaacson stating rather early in the book that he might be accused of writing something apologetic and perhaps maybe even stand accused of being under the spell of one of the most influential people in contemporary history's 'reality distortion machine.' The biography seemed fair enough, but I think it may have come too early. It is enjoyable and even has some enduring life lessons, but in the end, I think Walter Isaacson soft-peddled more than he needed to.

Consequently, I wonder how much of Jobs' biography is influenced by Walter Isaacson's world view and vice-versa.

Personally, I think Isaacson didn't reveal anything more than what was already floating in the ether about Steve Jobs, the man. Moreover, it seems the juiciest tidbits offered up by the author came in his varied interviews when he was touring the talk shows to hype the book. While my knowledge of Steve Jobs was next to nothing before I read the book, my perspective of him post-Isaacson, is that of a rather emotionally labile, petulant, brilliant man who was given to extremes of self consumption, willfulness that not only attested to his creative genius, but contributed to at least three life-changing disasters - one with the gravest consequences of all for him because it quite likely killed him.

Because only three significant disasters were written of by Issacson, it becomes a matter of reading between the lines. I am left with the feeling that the author purposefully gives his readership bones so that they can sort of build the final character according to their personal likes. To that end, this biography seems a bit skewed. That is why I give this book 3 stars out of a possible 5; it is likeable enough but seems lacking in substance.

I don't know how, or why other people read biographies, but my reasons focus on understanding people and how they influenced their respective worlds. As a result, I tend to look for examples "what-to-do's" and "what-not-to-do's" as I read. While I remain convinced that few if any biographies ever accomplish what they boldly set out to do; convey a complete, unbiased vetting of what makes up a person's life, it seems even harder to summarize a book - even less so, a life - in merely one sentence, but here goes; being bold and determined in your decisions is a double edged razor that has the potential to cut in your favor but it can also cost you your life.

In biographies, sometimes it's not what you say. It's how you say it. Additionally, sometimes it's about what you don't say or perhaps, that you elect not to say it. Finishing up with this book leaves me with those niggling questions. Unfortunately, I don't think I really know much more about Steve Jobs than I did in the past. I do know however, more about the history of Apple, and that was worth paying for.

Perhaps that is what Isaacson should have framed his book as; a history of Apple's rise, fall and rise again - rather than a biography about Steve Jobs. Apple was, after all, what defined Steve Jobs and is, in large part, what will reflect his legacy.(less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-purchased, audible, completed-2013-read, my-best-reads-ever, muse-reviews

Are you a fan of APPLE? Do you hate APPLE? Did you admire Steve Jobs? Did you hate Steve Jobs? No matter your answers, you *really* should read this book. There have been things about APPLE I always disliked. This book made me turn many of these things into things I no longer dislike, but also into things I now understand and yes, even admire. There was many many things I learned in here that I had no clue about. There is no way I think you can read this book and not just totally be in awe of Jo...more Are you a fan of APPLE? Do you hate APPLE? Did you admire Steve Jobs? Did you hate Steve Jobs? No matter your answers, you *really* should read this book. There have been things about APPLE I always disliked. This book made me turn many of these things into things I no longer dislike, but also into things I now understand and yes, even admire. There was many many things I learned in here that I had no clue about. There is no way I think you can read this book and not just totally be in awe of Jobs. Yes, he was a total asshole. It's also clear that he never made apologizes for this. He has some very obvious personal issues. Professional issues as well. What I never understood is what drove him. After reading this, I feel very sure that money was never a driving force in his life. Instead it was always his passions. His passions for PIXAR. His passion for APPLE. His passion to always be the best.

Read this book. I am not sure that I've ever read a book that showed a man with such passions. No, this book is not always a nice pretty picture of Jobs. In fact, at times you will think he is complete shit. You will hate him for how he treats his employees. You will marvel at how he justifies his backhanded business ethics. You will stare open mouthed at his tantrums....but through it all, you can't help but to marvel at the man. At all he accomplished. At how he never gave up, no matter who told him it couldn't be done. You will marvel at how he pushes others into greatness. You will wish you could have experienced his "reality distortion field". I also learned so much about APPLE.....I learned and now understand their "closed system" I used to really hate this about APPLE...now I am excited about it....You will understand why they really DID change the world that you and I now know. How many things that Jobs pushed that you don't even realize...but things you would be hard pressed to do without.

I wish I had read this book years ago. I wish I had been an APPLE fanatic years ago. I wish I had bothered to learn more about Jobs before his passing. I wish everyone knew just what he did for APPLE. The story about APPLE that I really never knew when he came back to it's helm.

Again, no matter what your feelings about the man or the company, this is a book worth reading. If you walk away not learning anything new....well, I would surprised. If you walk away without being a little bit awestruck with the man...well, I would be surprised.

Brilliant man.....there is no question....there will never be another like him....

and just one more thing.....

you shall be missed......you left your mark on us all, Steve.....job well done.....RIP.....(less)

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Nov 17, 2011 Jeff Yoak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-collection, read-in-2011, books-recommended-to-everyone

I'm going to post my blog entry on this in its entirety, even though it covers thoughts not strictly related just to the biography, but the biography inspired it all.

I recently finished reading Steve Jobs, the well-written and extensive biography by Walter Issacson. Apple's products, and accordingly Steve Jobs, have made a big impact in my life. First and foremost, computers add a lot more to my life than they would have without the products Apple makes, but also they've influenced my thinking a...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bestseller, computery, nonfiction, work-related, biography

Fascinating bio of an American tech icon. I had known he was the notoriously difficult CEO of Apple and Pixar, but I knew little of his actual personal history. I enjoyed uncovering the Fifty Shades of Jobs - who knew he was a barefoot, bearded, unblinking vegan hippie at 17? Anecdotes about his refusal to shower and his inevitable BO being a professional problem were priceless (so contrary to my initial expectations). Yet as an obsessive perfectionist, motivator, visionary, product man...it's m...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Since his death in October, those of us who use Apple products and/or have a strong interest in technology have read various obituaries, tributes in blogs, and reviews of the Isaacson book. Like other books by Isaacson I have read over the years, this book is beautifully written, very well documented, honest in its criticism and praise of Jobs, and really compelling. The end is of course very sad, no matter how you may have felt about Jobs as a human being. He was both a creative genius and a ve...more Since his death in October, those of us who use Apple products and/or have a strong interest in technology have read various obituaries, tributes in blogs, and reviews of the Isaacson book. Like other books by Isaacson I have read over the years, this book is beautifully written, very well documented, honest in its criticism and praise of Jobs, and really compelling. The end is of course very sad, no matter how you may have felt about Jobs as a human being. He was both a creative genius and a very difficult person to be around not only in the work environment, but with his own family and friends, and at the end, even his doctors and nurses.

As a bonus, Isaacson also provides an excellent, well-documented, and honest description of the culture of Silicon Valley and the history of the rise, the fall, and the rise again of Apple.
Having worked in Silicon Valley, I was able to have a front row seat to amazingly rapid and fascinating technological advances. I worked with very intelligent, creative, decent, incredibly hard-working people who lived in simple ranch houses and drove nondescript cars. We were never bored. We worked long hours. Eventually we may have even been rewarded financially. But there was another culture in Silicon Valley. There were the personalities, Jobs among them, who landed on the cover of Wired or Fortune. They would be interviewed by Charlie Rose on PBS. Personalities such as Ellison at Oracle, Jim Clark at Silicon Graphics and Netscape, and Scott McNealy at Sun Microsystems, had very strong, notoriously difficult and demanding personalities and super inflated egos. They accumulated vast wealth. They fought with their neighbors over the height of their backyard fences. They built expensive yachts and travelled in custom designed private airplanes. Yes, some of them, such as Hewlett and Packard, or Andrew Grove at Intel, have made significant investments in philanthropic activities. Of course, Bill Gates seems now to be more respected for his global philanthropic activities than for his contributions to Microsoft

Jobs personality in particular was very inconsistent, as though he possessed some sort of split personality. He and his family lived in a basic middle class neighborhood in Palo Alto (north of Apple headquarters in Cupertino). They had no security presence in their lives, unlike many. Yet Jobs regularly drove down 101 (a notoriously dangerous freeway) at 100 mph in his Mercedes AMG (a $100,000 car he replaced annually) with no license plates and, once arriving at work, deliberately parked across two handicapped spaces while declining the “status” of his own personal CEO parking space. When pulled over for speeding or for driving without plates, he would make an excuse to the officer, speed off again, miracuously arriving safely at his destination.

Jobs read the Autobiography of a Yogi once a year and spent time at Buddhist retreats. However, these pursuits did not give him any sense of tranquillity. He could be brutal, extremely hyper-critical with his employees, his suppliers, distributors and ad agencies. He was a genius in directing the creation of remarkable technologies (Apple II, Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad,)frequently copying the work of researchers as Xerox Parc however. He founded the wildly successful Pixar Animation Studios with its long run producing blockbuster animated films. But, he made terribly wrong decisions about his own health. He dressed simply but had bizarre eating habits, eating nothing but carrot juice for months, going on fasts, and adamantly declining food that would assist in building up his immune system during his lengthy illness. I found his treatment of doctors and nurses to be outrageous, but it was very honestly conveyed to Isaacson by Jobs’ wife, Laurene Powell, certain close friends, and even doctors. Waiting for death to take him, Jobs could not resist complaining about the design of his oxygen mask. What would Freud have thought? What type of behavior is this?

The chapters on the design of the iPod, the MAC, and the Apple stores were fascinating and also indicative of the very demanding and obsessive nature of Jobs personality. I do appreciate the simplicity of Apple's products, the Zen-like design of devices such as the Macbook Pro and the white iPhone. However I feel guilty possessing them knowing they were produced in China in horrible sweatshop factories, such as Foxcomm, where workers have even committed suicide after working very long hours for very low wages and feeling completely hopeless of ever rising above these conditions.

The corporate history of Apple is also told is a very readable and well-documented detail. His dealings with others, including executives at suppliers and distributors, tech journalists, and powerful CEO’s such as Eisner at Disney, are fascinating and provide insights into the egos behind the CEO culture. Also compelling are the background stories behind the first firing of Jobs after his fall-out with former Pepsi CEO John Scully, his failures (such as the LISA computer and the Next computer) his return and attempt to run the highly successful PIXAR Studios at the same time as he was re-energizing Apple, the controversy surrounding back-dated stock options, the secrecy surrounding his health issues, and his final months. Jobs and his team created many highly successful products. But the failures were also given their fair share of treatment.

What I’m left with most is a feeling of sadness for his family, his three daughters, his wife, his son, and his sister, Mona Simpson. As his wife, Laurene Powell, discussed at the end of the book (pages 543 – 544), “he’s not extraordinary in every realm”. His family was neglected, especially his daughters, even as he must have realized he was going to have only a few short months left in this world. Laurene admits to Isaacson that Steve “did not have social graces, such as putting himself in other people’s shoes.” I can’t begin to imagine how emotionally drained Laurene especially must feel as she recovers from the ordeal of caring for her husband during this prolonged illness. After months in denial and avoiding treatment he finally accepted various medical treatments but also insisted upon trying bizarre so-called approaches that may have served to only make his condition worse. I wonder to what degree his angry, frenetic behavior, his anger, his constant need to always be in control of everything may have contributed to the development of the cancer that ultimately killed him.

What was missing from the book was a deeper look at the manufacturing processes behind the iPad, iPhone and other Apple products. I don’t fault Isaacson for this. There simply could not have been time for him to thoroughly research the issues. These can be examined in another book on the subject. China has closed these factories, such as the notorious Foxcomm, to outside visitors. Before complaining about the high price of Apple and other tech products, we should all think of the low wage Chinese factory workers who are suffering serious damage to their health and well-being, even risking their lives, putting together the products we covet. Perhaps the new management at Apple will finally address these and other social welfare issues. Overall, Apple’s products have provided great benefit to so many around the globe. Do such products have to orginate with people possessing such difficult, abusive personalities?
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Feb 26, 2012 Vaman rated it 2 of 5 stars

Walter Isaacson is without a doubt everyone's favorite cherubic imp if only for his mastery of plural form of cherub, cherubim. Felt, at times, that I was reading words from a kindly yet still sharp aging European fairy tale writer. Isaacson, with an impish glance askew, picks out characteristics in people the way your grandfather might: either enveloping them in a warm but fair embrace, bringing them within inches of cherubic face while still rapping them gently for relinquished responsibilitie...more Walter Isaacson is without a doubt everyone's favorite cherubic imp if only for his mastery of plural form of cherub, cherubim. Felt, at times, that I was reading words from a kindly yet still sharp aging European fairy tale writer. Isaacson, with an impish glance askew, picks out characteristics in people the way your grandfather might: either enveloping them in a warm but fair embrace, bringing them within inches of cherubic face while still rapping them gently for relinquished responsibilities/inconsiderate interactions or casting them as unworthy of approaching his treasured cadre of technolog/artists. As bracing as Jobs' life can be when transcribed competently, I couldn't help but think, with an impish glint in my eye, that if Jobs really wanted to make a dent in the universe, he'd pick somebody who didn't require a correction on the physics of Angry Birds in the NYT. Here's a wish list of non cherubim: David Carr, Malcolm Gladwell, Steven Levy, Jon Gruber (unsure if he'd be able to stand up to Jobs and poke and prod the way testy anecdote adoring WI does though), Colson Whitehead, Carles or Joshua Topolsky. Whatever Jobs might've claimed to have wished, he really wanted a mythologizer and no generation can be as endlessly, resolutely, almost ignorantly mythos making as the baby boomers. So it was not without a cherubic smile that Jobs sought out this able sous chef to take what can be said about his life and massage it for the palette of the generation which keeps the Allman brothers relevant and nods approvingly when Jobs claims that John Mayer is one of the greatest guitarists ever.

In short, a single Apple University course may have been as interesting to the aspiring technologist. A scouring of the Gizmodo archives and choice excerpts from this book will do for the gossip hound.

For the books-a-million browser who asks only that things be explained to him or her on a ok-I-see-where-he's-going-with-that level and cannot distinguish an obvious insight from profundity (Gruber posted that Apple itself was Jobs' greatest creation half a year ago), then feel free to learn trivialities and good clichés about the cherubim and imps who changed the world.

I'm still willing to give Saint Steve the benefit of the doubt and believe that as someone with impeccable aesthetic judgement, he wanted to see how someone with less taste than Charlie Rose and a bit more technological intuition than Larry King, would perceive him, never mind that Isaacson is always a level below and a step behind, watching the throne and on occasion, throwing stones and the king but never quite figuring out that you have to be a really deep guy to know the simple, right thing to say.

That being said. A must read for the gustatory explications alone.

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Aug 12, 2013 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

I started this book with two questions: Was Steve Jobs an asshole? And if so... did he need to be to accomplish what he did?

Having just finished it, I don't have a good answer to either question. In fact both seem foolishly simplistic given this rich, sweeping, detailed, and intimate depiction a truly remarkable man's life experience.

What I learned about Steve Jobs is that he was very good at some things, and very bad at others. Among the things he was very good at, his true genius lay in his ab...more

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About Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson lives in Washington, DC, where he is the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute. He is the author of acclaimed, best-selling biographies of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Henry Kissinger.

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Trivia About Steve Jobs

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Quotes from Steve Jobs

“One way to remember who you are is to remember who your heroes are.” — 240 likes

“If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have to be willing to take whatever you’ve done and whoever you were and throw them away. The more the outside world tries to reinforce an image of you, the harder it is to continue to be an artist, which is why a lot of times, artists have to say, “Bye. I have to go. I’m going crazy and I’m getting out of here.” And they go and hibernate somewhere. Maybe later they re-emerge a little differently. (Steve Jobs)” — 154 likes

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Steve Jobs

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