Steve Jobs

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D. This is a fascinating, if not riveting, story that is not only well-written and well-constructed (organized in a chronological manner), but it is incredibly well-researched, too. It not only revealed how open Jobs was with Isaacson, but how open all of those who were part of, influenced, or were on the fringes of Job's life, were when Isaacson interviewed them. From reading this book, you get this intricate portrait of a mercurial, sometimes vicious, self-absorbed, genius who had serious difficulties dealing with the realities of day-to-day living. But, it is Jobs' peculiarities--his uniquenesses--that make this book so engaging. You simply have a hard time believing such a person like Jobs even existed! (Remember, Jobs did not read this book before he died.) One aspect of Jobs' personality--reinforced throughout the book--was that "ordinary rules didn't apply to him" (p. 313). I found it astonishing, for example, that he couldn't be relied on to tell the truth. It was said about him by Helmut Sonnerfeldt, "He lies not because it's in his interest, he lies because it's in his nature" (p. 313). He was adept at misleading, being secretive, as well as being brutally honest. He could be incredibly brutal! Whatever you thought about Steve Jobs--based on his public persona--this book will shake (destroy?) that image. Isaacson pulls no punches, nor do the individuals interviewed. Jobs was a temperrmental, insensitive, authoritative, control freak, with an emphasis on freak! Sure, he was incredibly bright, imaginative, creative, intelligent, educated, and knowledgeable, but the way he treated others, the way he thought about others who were not his intellectual equals (or intellectual superiors!), was near pathological and perverse. He was an egomaniac's egomaniac (terribly selfish and demanding). To give you a mere glimpse of how selfish he was, he seldom remembered anniversaries or birthdays (p. 530). Jobs was not one to emulate when it comes to effective human relations, however, even though many of his personal eccentricities were not exemplary, this is a motivational book. There are a number of great motivational messages throughout the book. Some of the messages include: never give up, create a vision or dream, pursue your dream, whatever it takes, surround yourself with great minds and supportive personnel (not just "yes people"), don't worry about going against the grain, be creative, take risks, defy failure, bet your career on doing things in a different way, be hands-on, know your product, be thorough, check-and-re-check, perfectionism is good and it works, have passion, infuse everything you do with emotion, focus, prepare thoroughly, do nothing half-assed, and always keep your customers in mind (be user friendly). Jobs knew that "deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do" (p. 336). On the basic values Jobs supported--and a value seen in every Apple product which he oversaw (and a value that made Apple successful!)--is the effective marriage between technology and the humanities (p. 527). The marriage was consummated in the silicon architecture, in the Aple organization, as well as in Jobs' own soul (p. 527)! If you really want an overview of who Steve Jobs was and how he operated, Isaacson does a beautiful job of summarizing in Chapter 42, "Legacy" (pp. 560-571). It is an honest, complete, and intimate conclusion that accurately and completely draws together many of the comments, reactions, and insights scattered throughout the book. It is a wonderful closing chapter. In this final chapter, too, Isaacson allowed Jobs, who had shared with him what he hoped his legacy would be throughout the course of their conversations, to be the one to conclude the book (pp. 567-570). No, there are no completely new insights in Jobs' essay, because you absorb his personal values, approaches, feelings, and reactions throughout the book, but Isaacson was correct, just hearing Jobs express himself at the end was a beautiful, warm, and touching way to conclude the book. Just as Jobs was a true genius (very few measure up!), Isaacson is a genius in the manner with which he introduces him to the general public. This is truly an incredible book.

Many people might mistake this book for a mere biography of the man that made Apple a household name and its products coveted by millions around the world. It's not. This book is actually three books in one. It's a business book on how to (and not to) run a company using Apple, NeXT and Pixar as case studies. It's also a history book on the ascent and the drama behind the consumer electronics evolution. And as its title suggests, it's the fascinating story of one of the most gifted people of our time. As a business book, Isaacson writes about three distinct business practices. The first is how to really create a company from scratch. The passion exuded by Jobs and Wozniak is detailed with infectious enthusiasm in the first half of the book. The second practice (and one often not talked about in business books) is how to drive a company to the ground. The book is rife with examples of internal politics, lack of leadership and the absence of focus that truly illustrate how companies fail. The last practice is how to build and operate a creative company that endures. For me, this is the most fascinating narrative of all. But to fully appreciate it, one must truly understand the first two, which almost always precede this one. The book offers a great case study of three companies: Apple, NeXT and Pixar. One fascinating vignette in the book draws a contrast between Apple and Sony and why Apple was successful in conquering the consumer-end of the music business while Sony, who was in a favorable position to do exactly that, failed to do so. This story draws attention to the importance of inter-departmental cohesion that Apple possessed and Sony didn't, to the success of innovation in a company. Business leaders reading this book will learn a lot about the power of "focus" in business. Steve Jobs's most doled out advice was "focus." Throughout the book, we learn how Jobs followed his own advice to a deadly fault. As a business book, it is amongst the best. It's also an even better history book. It details the ascent of personal computing from the perspective of the very people that were (and still are) at its helm. The book doesn't only cover Apple's evolution, but that of the entire industry. Naturally, that involves drama, which Isaacson does a great job of covering. The philosophical divide between open and closed systems that dominated the personal computing evolution is discussed thoroughly in the book via anecdotal accounts on what really happened behind the scenes. It explains what it really took to bring us the products on which I read this book and now writing its review. Most importantly, this is a very personal book. It is the story of man adored by millions of geeks, and when departed, mourned by hundreds of millions of Apple consumers around the world. Unfortunately, a devastating portrait that is guaranteed to put out any respect or admiration you've ever had for the man emerges early on in the book. If you have spent the last fifteen years romanticizing about Steve Jobs and his products, this book will leave you punch-drunk. You will learn through stomach-churning details how Steve Jobs was a disloyal, lying, backstabbing, vindictive, manipulative, vengeful, and all-around vile and damaged human being. He was, and surprisingly so, a coward, as clearly illustrated by how he treated people in his twenties and thirties. And oh, he cried a lot. I mean, A LOT. The book is rife with examples of his cruelty towards those who he seemed to have loved the most. His treatment of Steve Wozniak was unconscionable and disgusting. But the most disturbing example and the one that really shows his character was how he treated his "soul mate" from Reed College, Daniel Kottke. I could sum it up by quoting John Scully's wife when she told Jobs: When I look into most people's eyes, I see a soul. When I look into your eye, I see a bottomless pit, an empty hole, a dead zone. Even the amiable, most trusting co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, who's been backstabbed by Jobs several times, have said about Jobs, "I look forward to a great product and I wish him success, but his integrity I cannot trust." The irony in Steve Jobs story was that he loathed people that treated him the way he treated others. He had to deal with a few people that gave him a run for his money like Eisner of Disney and Katzenburg of DreamWorks. He claims throughout the book that he's "honest" and a "straightshooter" yet all the stories relayed by people that had to deal with him tell a completely different story. For a control freak, it boggles me how he allowed such a book to be written about him. Now we all know that he might have been a visionary, but he was also a very disturbed man void of compassion, empathy and integrity. As I got deeper into the book I started to wonder, "did Apple offer on-campus Al-Anon meetings to its employees?" Evidently, working for or with Steve Jobs was like being in a relationship with a recovering Cocaine addict who sees the world in black and white and throws frequent tantrums that are aimed at destroying those around them. It's what Mike Murray, Apple's Marketing Chief, called, "management by character assassination." Jobs quotes Bob Dylan, whom we learn early in the book was one of his heroes, "if you're not busy being born, you're busy dying." It's ironic to quote those powerful words and not heed them. The book clearly shows that Steve Jobs was never really reborn or reinvented as a person. He never evolved and his base qualities were never tamed. Naturally, he spent his entire life dying from the inside out. The book left me enriched, provoked and sad in equal measure. It is long but flows well and is a fast read. All business executives should read it for the insight it offers on what real successful companies are made of and what pitfalls to avoid along the way. Also, everyone in technology should read it to get a perspective on the evolution in the space of personal and consumer computing and to understand where we're headed and how to get there. Even if you're not an executive or a geek, you should read this book for its fascinating (and well told) story of a man from Northern California who dramatically changed how we live. A man as rich with creativity and intuition for what consumers want as he was bankrupt of decency and compassion for most of those he touched. It's a story worth reading. If for nothing else, read it to understand what it took to create the device on which you're reading this very review.

MUY INSTRUCTIVO

I first read this biography back in 2011, in its Spanish edition and in ebook format. Taking advantage of the great price, I decided to get the physical English version, and I’m enjoying it just as much as I did the first time. In fact, rereading it now feels even more fascinating. Steve Jobs’ life was truly remarkable. As the chapters unfold, I can clearly recognise the technological milestones he helped shape — probably because I’ve lived through many of them myself. The early Apple computers, the first Macs, the Cube, the iPods, and eventually the iPhone… each one opened a new market and redefined an entire industry. Isaacson’s biography captures all of this with depth and honesty. The mix of interviews — from friends to rivals — paints a vivid picture of a complex, obsessive and visionary figure. It’s a compelling read, both for those who admire Jobs and for anyone interested in the evolution of modern technology. A great purchase and a pleasure to revisit in its full printed edition.

Ho appena terminato di leggere "Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography" e sono ancora completamente immerso nel mondo affascinante di uno dei più grandi innovatori del nostro tempo. Questo libro, scritto con maestria da un autore esperto come Walter Isaacson, offre un'analisi approfondita della vita e delle opere di Steve Jobs, il co-fondatore di Apple. La biografia è un'autentica pietra miliare che riesce a cogliere l'essenza di Jobs come persona e come leader carismatico. Isaacson ci conduce attraverso un viaggio emozionante, partendo dall'infanzia di Steve Jobs fino ai suoi trionfi e fallimenti nel mondo degli affari. L'autore non si limita a raccontare una sequenza di eventi, ma ci fornisce una comprensione intima di chi era realmente Steve Jobs e di cosa lo ha spinto a diventare l'uomo che ha cambiato il modo in cui viviamo e lavoriamo. Uno degli aspetti più notevoli del libro è la sincerità con cui vengono descritte le sfaccettature complesse della personalità di Jobs. Isaacson non esita a mostrare i lati negativi del suo carattere, evidenziando la sua determinazione quasi ossessiva e il suo carattere spigoloso. Questo rende la narrazione ancor più coinvolgente, poiché ci permette di apprezzare appieno le sue realizzazioni straordinarie, ma anche di riflettere sulle conseguenze che il suo approccio può avere sulle relazioni personali e professionali. La ricerca di Isaacson è encomiabile e la sua abilità nel raccogliere testimonianze e interviste di persone vicine a Steve Jobs aggiunge una dimensione autentica alla narrazione. Sono rimasto affascinato dai retroscena di Apple e dalle interazioni tra Jobs e altre figure chiave come Steve Wozniak e Tim Cook. La biografia offre una panoramica completa degli alti e bassi dell'azienda, comprese le decisioni coraggiose e i momenti di scontro che hanno plasmato l'industria tecnologica. Inoltre, il libro affronta tematiche più ampie come l'importanza del design, l'innovazione e l'arte nella creazione di prodotti che cambiano il mondo. È stimolante leggere di come Jobs abbia integrato la sua passione per l'estetica nella filosofia di Apple, creando prodotti che hanno ridefinito gli standard dell'industria e hanno influenzato il modo in cui viviamo e ci connettiamo.

Last Christmas I had asked Santa for a Samsung smart phone. Apart from an ipod, I don't own any other Apple products and felt the brand is trying to make you buy all of their devices. Would I have wanted an iphone after reading the book? I had ordered the English version of the book on Amazon, something I strongly recommend. The computer related terms are English words anyway and the author's style is straightforward and without the use of complicated sentences. It took me a couple of weeks to read through the 600 pages of the book. It is like reading a drama: somehow I was waiting to read about all the products we are so familiar with now: the ipod, iphone and ipad. Once the book reached these chapters, I slowed down a bit, as if a climax had been reached. The book is amazing, probably the best biography I have ever read. The is partly due to the author and his style of writing, but mainly the life and personality of Steve Jobs is what makes that book stand out for me. I did not know much about Jobs before and was not too keen to find out about him either, but now I have started reading newspaper articles and watched old clips on Youtube about him and the Apple brand. The story is simply fascinating. It all starts out in his garage and ends up in one of the biggest brands of our time. Jobs could achieve this by being the person he was. The last biography I read was about Picasso and it is amazing how similar they might have been. Genius on one side, cruel, manipulative and mean on the other side. Jobs had asked Isaacson to write this book in 2004, probably aware that someone will write about him if he dies of cancer and by choosing Isaacson (former chairman and CEO of CNN, author of biographies of Einstein, Kissinger and Franklin) he made sure to have one of the best writing about him. This is the way he choose people he wanted to work with at Apple as well, he just calls up the person who he thinks is best for a certain job. Jobs did not want any control over the book, fully aware that Isaacson will also write about how mean he could treat even his closest fiends. Over two years Isaacson collected the material, doing many interviews with Jobs and people close to him. The book covers his childhood, private life and his career. What made a big impression on me: Jobs attention (you could call it obsession) to detail in everything (food, clothes, architecture, design, presentations, advertising) The way Jobs built his team (choosing the best, firing who is not good enough any more) What surprised me: Jobs deep love for Bob Dylan What I missed: I would have wished for more background information about what happened elsewhere at the time of the early computing since there was not only Apple. This is probably a lot to ask, since one book would not have been enough. I googled some people and companies Jobs had dealt with in order to find out more about them to complete the picture. To Isaacson's credit: all the big names seem to have a place in his book and a brief summary on what they were doing at the time (for example Bill Gates). Once I had finished the book there were no open questions, sometimes the author deals with a different person in a different chapter and you find out about it a little later in the book. After all I can say: I am very happy with my smaller phone and the open strategy works for me.

Il y a beaucoup de "storytelling" ce qui est merveilleux ... toutes ces petites histoires qui créent ce personnage très complexe et son «champ de distorsion". Je le recommande pour ceux qui aiment: des histoires d'affaires, l'esprit entrepreneurial, des gens créatifs, non-conformistes, les stratégies, les commerçants, vendeurs, etc ..... et bien sûr, toute autre personne qu'il est ouvert à une telle histoire et à la culture américaine (sachant qu'il y a beaucoup de scepticisme autour de la culture américaine en France ... oui oui, je sais que je généralise :)). Il s'agit d'un très long livre (568 pages) et croyez-moi, la lecture sur un Kindle ne facilite pas les choses. Mais il y a toutes les détails que vous pourriez avoir besoin : commençant par des témoignages et points de vue différents sur la même histoire jusqu'aux détails de la façon dont ils ont travaillé sur les couleurs et les composants utilisés pour chaque ordinateur. En outre, c'est un livre très inspirant ... bien sûr, si vous ne restez pas coincé dans la perspective «il est fou ou il est égoïste ou il ne se soucie pas de ceux qui travaillent pour lui ou que ça marcherait jamais en France ou qu'il est allé trop loin ". Bref...J'adore