Steve Jobs

FIrst of all, and overall, I liked the book. Secondly, the enigma that we all knew that Steve Jobs was is fairly represented by Mr. Issacson although not as in depth as his book on Einstein was. There are two distinct parts to this book, the period from when Mr. Jobs was born to the point that he was let go by the Apple Board under Mr. Scully. The second part, and I think the reason why I gave it only four stars, was written in too much of a hurry. Not enough time was spent on the transition from NeXT to Apple and the two products that really solidified Apple in the market: the original iMac and the iPod, I think, were glossed over in what should of been a more in depth analysis. Also the period that John Scully ran Apple, the period of the PowerPC, was barely even mentioned. That period was the impetus for Apple to contact Steve to help them out of their mess. I realize that the book had to focus on Steve Jobs and not necessarily on Apple and I also realize that Mr. Issacson had to hurry the finish of the book so that It could be released while everyone's memory still had the death of Steve in their minds, but to make a definitive biography "definitive" you need to spend more time understanding the reasons behind the choices of Jobs and the needs of Apple.Also, Mr. Jobs was a study in dichotomies. Anyone who reads this book will have a billion questions to ask once they finish it. My biggest question that I thought could of been answered in the book by Mr. Issacson is Mr. Jobs' decision NOT to have surgery sooner than he did. Did anyone ask Mr. Jobs what his reasons were? For someone who experimented in hallucinogenic drugs it seemed odd to me that that person was afraid of having is body entered by some outward force. Was Mr. Jobs afraid of surgery? Dying? What? In depth reasons for his not participating in philantrophic "causes" is also strange to me. I have heard that he always gave money to Democratic political candidates but not to social causes. That to me is another dichotomy.As Mr. Jobs progressed towards his death, the book hurried up considerably, leaving me wanting to understand more what his thoughts on dying were. Certainly he made earlier comments on God after he learned of his cancer, but his spiritual vanities were caught in a dichotomy. How did he handle it? I'm wondering if Mr. Jobs told Mr. Issacson not to spend a lot of time explaining his spiritual awareness or if Mr. Issacson cannot write on spiritual subjects. The part that Mr. Jobs says I hope that life is not like a light switch where you just "turn it off," can be expanded for many chapters by most authors. I guess as a Christian I had hope that Mr. Jobs came to understand that there is another dimension that we must travel, and this book did not peruse that for me.All in all, this book is a keeper. More can be written about the history of Apple, about their black period when Steve was not in command and about how the business decisions were made about each product they made. The obvious manic/depressive psychological presence of Mr. Jobs at Apple would probably make a good read if someone were more knowledgeable of that malady. I often wonder if taking hallucinogenic drugs did not somehow make worse his pathological behavior. That also was not expanded in this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It gives great insights into a truly creative mind. Steve Jobs had some huge successes, but he also displayed some serious flaws. It's this human equation that is so interesting. Is he still just a jerk despite his accomplishments? Or does he get a pass on the nice-human-being aspect of life? The audio book version is a good one, but long. I would suggest reading the book if you want to get through it more quickly.

Great book. I have the hardcover version, purchased the auditable version, listen to it in the car. I consider it a must-read for us Geeks!

Great read!

Love Steve Jobs, I love this book, I will read this book again and again and I have recommended this book to my family and friends.

Two words to describe how I felt while listening to this audiobook…absolutely fascinating!So why would I be so intrigued by an undoubtedly, first-rate ruthless man? I’m pretty sure it’s how Walter Isaacson tells Steve Jobs’ story. The introduction pulled me in right away with how the author was approached by Jobs to write his biography. When he finally agreed, Jobs encouraged him to write the harsh, honest truth…both the good and the bad parts of his life. Jobs also agreed that he wouldn’t control what was written about him.Going into this book, I really didn’t know that many things about Steve Jobs other than the headlines I’d hear about him in the news. I did watch the made-for-TV movie Pirates of Silicon Valley years ago, which first brought to my attention the rivalry between Jobs and Bill Gates. I also heard he was a difficult man to work with, but I didn’t know just how much.Simply put, Steve Jobs had a passion for perfection. I found his early life quite interesting. I hadn’t known how he met Steve Wozniak before and was engrossed with reading about their symbiotic relationship and how Apple Inc. came to be. I actually wanted to read more about the Homebrew Computer Club after reading those chapters. There’s no doubt Jobs could market a product well, although I shake my head at how he went about making certain ideas into reality, especially with how he treated people. In his eyes, if you were in his way or weren’t of any use to him, you were basically extinguishable. I liked the term Reality Distortion Field used to describe Jobs’ charisma, and how he could sound so convincing.Other things I found fascinating were his Pixar days, his family life, and the creation of iTunes and the App Store. Really, I had no idea of his level of involvement with Pixar and the Toy Story movies. I loved the little glimpses into Jobs’ life as a husband and father. Was he father-of-the-year material? Certainly not, but I think he tried his best as the years went by, especially after he fell ill and accepted his fate.While Jobs did many downright unfavorable and unforgiving things, some of which he later regretted, he had remarkable vision for whatever projects he wanted to make reality. He made his mark in this world that is recognized widely.One doesn’t have to be a techie to understand this book. If you enjoy compelling biographies, Steve Jobs has an interesting one. I gave this book a high rating due to the combination of riveting subject matter, audio narration, and storytelling. It was my first time listening to Dylan Baker, and his narration is pleasing and exceptional. I’m glad I decided to get the audiobook. There’s a reason why Jobs pursued this particular author. I think that after hearing all the rough-edged details of his life, Jobs knew Isaacson would handle his story with great care. He brilliantly does do by presenting the many sides to this complicated man concluding with an intensely poignant and emotional epilogue. Back in 2011, I was encouraged by someone close to me to read this book. I had put it on the back of my mind to get to it someday. Five years later, I found myself entirely captivated from beginning to end, so much so, that I started to listen to it again.