The Opposition…

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

Discussion: 2011-Oct-Nov-Dec

Why we're reading this: October 25, 2011;
also mentioned on The Colbert Report October 25, 2011
[close] October 25, 2011;
also mentioned on The Colbert Report October 25, 2011

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2011-Oct-Nov-Dec

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* December 2011
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 35 views

last updated Dec 20, 2011 06:46PM

* November 2011
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 29 views

last updated Dec 03, 2011 08:09PM

What Members Thought

Sep 25, 2012 Manifest Stefany rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biographies

Walter Isaacson has again given me a book that I could not put down and life in total. Reading the bio of someone I held more disdain for than admiration was not an easy choice. But having read Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein, two men I adore, I felt his view would be well rounded and all sides, good and bad would be front and center. Bringing legends down to earth is really his strong point. He did not disappoint.

Many of my reasons for my disliking Jobs were reconfirmed with expanded cont ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Pang rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ecomics-finance, memoir-biography, 2016

What can I say about this man that hasn't been said before? Nothing. He's been gone more than four years, and he continues to fascinate people. There still are movies, documentaries, books, etc, being made/produced about him. He was quite the genius... A man with visions. He made products that people didn't even know they want! It's a shame that the man's time in the world was cut short, but his impact is lasting for sure. His passion in making good products came through the book. But, let's be ...more

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Dec 09, 2011 judy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biography-memoir

The uncompromising perfectionist Steve Jobs did it one last time. In choosing Walter Isaacson as his biographer, Jobs insured that this book is the story he wanted told. The back flap of the book lists Isaacson's recent accomplishments as a biographer and President of the Aspen Institute. It also notes that he was managing editor of Time and chairman of CNN. Those things barely hint at the reasons Jobs probably chose him--so lets get the record straight. Isaacson is a Harvard grad (history and l ...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Morna Crites-Moore rated it it was amazing

I loved this book and I hated to see it come to an end. I think Walter Isaacson did a masterful job. First he made me highly respect, even revere, Jobs; then, when he had me totally hooked on Steve, he made me think that Jobs was just an incredible asshole; then he somehow managed to meld the two viewpoints, and the two Steves.

I also loved it because I was there, so to speak: I lived in Los Gatos from 1980-1990 (was star-struck when Steve Wozniak sat at the table next to me at Steamer's), worke I loved this book and I hated to see it come to an end. I think Walter Isaacson did a masterful job. First he made me highly respect, even revere, Jobs; then, when he had me totally hooked on Steve, he made me think that Jobs was just an incredible asshole; then he somehow managed to meld the two viewpoints, and the two Steves.

I also loved it because I was there, so to speak: I lived in Los Gatos from 1980-1990 (was star-struck when Steve Wozniak sat at the table next to me at Steamer's), worked at IBM, explored the internet before it became user-friendly, had an early home computer (though not an Apple), etc. I don't know that it would be quite so interesting to me to read all the business/design details if I didn't have a personal history that was somewhat involved, albeit at a peripheral level.

I love that Jobs had such focus and that his biographer communicated it so well. I find myself wanting to emulate much of the Jobs ethic .... make it simple, keep it clean, don't spread yourself across all the wonderful territory that is so fascinating on this earth, focus instead on a few ideas/interests and truly explore them, possibly master them; buy fifty copies of the shirt you love and just wear it every day - it's the only one you really want to wear! (Similarly, I wonder how many readers will be emboldened to emulate some of Steve's less friendly traits. Will we see a surge in restaurant patrons sending their food back if it doesn't suit them?)

I do wish I had read this sizable book (656 pages) with pencil and/or sticky notes in hand, to mark things I want to remember. I don't know if I have what it takes to go back and re-read it, but I just may do that. Yikes!

I gave the book five stars, although I'm not sure .... I am sure it deserves to be elevated above the four star level, but I might prefer to give it, say, 4.7 stars .... mostly because the end of the book seemed so weak compared to all that went before it and partly because it is a bit thin on showing the reader what Jobs' personal relationships were like, although that may be because his personal relationships themselves were thin. ...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Linda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: chcpl

I don't think it is just because I am a devoteé of Apple products that I found this biography to be fascinating. Jobs was far from a perfect human being. He was mercurial and driven. His coworkers could be relegated to either the shithead list or genius list. I couldn't read this book fast enough - unusual for me for a book of nonfiction. We lost a visionary when Jobs died last October. I would have loved to have seen what he could have done with our education system. ...more

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