Steve Jobs Paperback – September 10, 2013

This review is being typed on a Macbook Pro, which I purchased two years ago. Later, when I go to the gym, I will listen to songs purchased on iTunes, which I have transferred over (using Firewire) to my iPhone 4s; I have been caught in the snare of Apple's enclosed system for the past year and have no intention of leaving it anytime soon. What this book has done, for me and countless other Apple fans, is help me understand the devices I use through an understanding of the man who created them.Walter Issacson's biography is highly readable and very compelling. I admit that before opening this book I was ignorant of just how much of an impact Steve Jobs has had on Silicon Valley and technology generally. It was engaging to read Isaacson's account of the construction of the Apple II in his parents garage, the development of the Macintosh, the creation of Next, the acquisition of Pixar, and his eventual return to Apple where he saved the company and entered his most creative years at the age of 40 (developing iTunes, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad).Most interesting to me though was how his devices (take your pick between the iPhone, Macbook, etc.) are an almost perfect analogy to his personality and disposition. The clean and elegant design is an undoubted result of his Zen Buddhist background. The enclosed system, in which the case cannot be opened, the software altered, and the multiple device connectivity, are a striking parallel to his ridiculous demand for control. It was hard not to read the book and find yourself liking Jobs. Yes, he was an ego-maniac, a control freak, a sometimes cruel individual, an abandoner, and he had the temperament of a rattle-snake, but he was also a genius.It isn't that he was always correct, but he was right on SO MANY things that it is astounding to look back and consider some of his most strategic business decisions and creative endeavors. Important also is noting that he himself invented little. Instead, he combined the ideas and notions of others (from Steve Wozniak to John Lasseter) to create products that people had as of yet not understood they even needed. This ability, combined with a borderline debilitating perfectionism, gravitational personality, and ingenuity made it possible for him to bring together the best and the brightest and create a company which will hopefully endure for many years following his death. Being a Seattle-ite I was drawn as well to his interactions with Bill Gates and how different (yet similar) their egos and ideologies were.This biography was an excellent read and a must for anyone interested in Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs himself, or the creation of one of technologies biggest companies. I found myself very much rooting for Apple and Jobs, and I believe that Isaacson was too, because his affection is evident in his writing. Academically, this could be a good thing or a bad thing, but it is clearly the most heavily researched and exhaustive biography that is likely to emerge in a very long time. Because Jobs had no control over the product (other than the cover design), it is a compelling, but not always flattering bio of a mercurial and important individual.

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.