Book Review: Steve Jobs
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One of the major news stories on October 5, 2011, was the passing of Steve Jobs. It was newsworthy because, as the founder and CEO of Apple, he was a very successful and wealthy man.
That was the extent of my knowledge until I received his biography as a Christmas gift. As a seasoned Windows user, I wasn’t sure how interesting I’d find it, but I figured I could probably learn some good business strategies, so I set out to read it. And wow – am I ever glad I did!
For starters, it was a very interesting retrospective of the development of the personal computer over the last few decades. It brought back a lot of memories of technology I’d heard about and, in some cases, actually used.
It was also a fascinating story about the amazing man who was personally responsible for the design and development of many of those products. He was an eccentric, emotionally unstable perfectionist with very high expectations of everyone who worked for him, but it was those very traits that allowed him to grow Apple to one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.
Now I understand why my iPhone has rounded corners, and why the box it came in is too nice to throw away. I also understand why Mac computers cost more than PCs, why there are no Mac clones on the market, and why Mac users are such a devoted bunch.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was learning about Jobs’ career outside of Apple. I may have known at one time that he was co-founder of Pixar, but if so, I’d forgotten. That explains why Pixar movies are so superior to other animated films!
And yes, I learned a few things about business as well.
I particularly enjoyed Walter Isaacson’s writing style, which had me just as engrossed as if I were reading a suspenseful novel.
When Jobs’ biography hit the bookstore shelves only weeks after his death, I was put off that someone was trying to cash in, and so quickly. I wasn’t aware that the book had been written on Jobs’ request and that its release had actually been delayed due to his poor health. Now it all makes perfect sense.
Bottom line – you do not have to be a Mac devotee to enjoy this book. If you have used a computer, downloaded music (legally or otherwise), or watched a movie in the past 40 years, there will be something here to capture your attention.
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Great review, Janet. Love how you wrote it! I cannot wait to read it! I have a book pile that is getting taller… currently reading The Happiness Project and EntreLeadership. I am getting bad at starting books and then moving on to something new! 🙂
Janet, thanks for the great review. I gave the book to my husband for Christmas and it was the first book I saw him complete an entire book in a week. He could not put it down. I started to read it and was riveted at the complexities of the man. Having a son to the Autism spectrum leads me strongly to believe that Steve Jobs is also somewhere on that spectrum! Mainly his stunted social skills.
I have yet to finish it but you have reminded me why I loved the books o much and that I now need to finish it!
Tracy – The Happiness Project has been on MY shelf for over two years… can you say something to encourage me to start reading it soon? 🙂
Margarita – At first I was reading it a few pages here and there, but realized I would only get through it if I read it instead of fiction for a while. Once I got into it, I really couldn’t put it down.
I’m so glad to read your review. I’m also a PC user and wondered if this held anything I’d be interested in. While I do enjoy biographies I presumed it would be so full of Apple referenced material that I’d have little interest. You’ve changed my mind. I plan to include this to my reading list. Thanks for sharing, Janet.
Ruth – It does include a lot of Apple referenced material, but you may be surprised, as I was, to realize how many products you were aware of, even if you didn’t use them yourself.
There’s a lot about the competition as well, including the relationship between Jobs and Bill Gates.
Just finished. Great. Having recently acquired two Apple devices (after working on otherwise for almost 30 years), I found all the detail on the development of Apple products especially intriguing. But the book left me wanting to read on after the Steve Jobs story was finished, because despite SJ’s aversion to on-off switches, the iPhone4S definitely HAS one, and I wonder how that decision came about.
The earlier ones have a switch too, but I wonder if it doesn’t “count” because you generally don’t have to use it. Interesting point!