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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
that was dense and long and, even though it took me almost two months to read it, i'm glad i did.
Three things to remember before reading this book -
1. It's a book by Walter Issacson. So expect some in depth detailing in every fact/ phase you come across in this book.
2. It's a book on Jobs. That's more than enough for most of us to start reading this book. Yet, what makes this book so unique from other? Well, apart from the fact that it explicitly explains all the dazzling and lustrous qualities of Jobs that made Apple a remarkable reality, the Author has made it his job to point out all the dark and Gloomy qualities that made Jobs a frightening Mess of a being.
3. Not a tinge of color apart from black and White in this book. The pure Bliss of Black an White is unpreventable once you begin reading the book.
And as to the content of the book, its magic that binds Steve to Walter and the end product, the book is full of information and Inspiration.
PS - LISA was named only after his Daughter and not an acronym of Local Integrated System Architecture :p
1. It's a book by Walter Issacson. So expect some in depth detailing in every fact/ phase you come across in this book.
2. It's a book on Jobs. That's more than enough for most of us to start reading this book. Yet, what makes this book so unique from other? Well, apart from the fact that it explicitly explains all the dazzling and lustrous qualities of Jobs that made Apple a remarkable reality, the Author has made it his job to point out all the dark and Gloomy qualities that made Jobs a frightening Mess of a being.
3. Not a tinge of color apart from black and White in this book. The pure Bliss of Black an White is unpreventable once you begin reading the book.
And as to the content of the book, its magic that binds Steve to Walter and the end product, the book is full of information and Inspiration.
PS - LISA was named only after his Daughter and not an acronym of Local Integrated System Architecture :p
DNF. I was only interested in the last 40%, and by the time I got there I couldn't care less. This would be a great book for Apple fans, but for me, it was too detailed about a lot of stuff I didn't care about.
A very comprehensive biography of Steve Jobs, that reaches in behind the scenes of the person not the icon/myth Steve already has become. Strongly recommended reading!
It has been a long time since I fond a book that was difficult to put down. For a non-fiction and a biography to do that was amazing. It is also a book that very inspring quotes, situations that I have dogmarked.
Thoroughly researched, beautifully written.
Thoroughly researched, beautifully written.
Thorough and interesting narrative on a complicated, difficult man
Growing up, I hated Steve Jobs.
When he unfortunately passed away in 2011, I refused to read this book because of my feelings towards him.
Fast forward a few years, I began to read this book and I finally understood the hype.
While I still think that Steve Jobs was a jerk, I have an admiration and deep respect for his work and products. This change in my view would not have been possible had I not read this book.
The reason this biography is so interesting is because:
1. It has an interesting subject
2. Has a logical flow
3. Takes concepts and makes it easy to follow
4. Is relatively unbiased
Issacson had the not so envious task of interviewing hundreds of people to then write a story of one of the world's most iconic CEOs in modern history. Despite the pressure, he has succeeded in giving a comprehensive, relatively unbiased account of a complicated, erratic, contradictory man.
After reading this book, I realized there were so many things about Jobs's life that I had no idea about. He was adopted, a hippie, a vegetarian, and definitely had an extreme un-diagnosed case of OCD. Having founded Apple, then moving to Pixar, and coming back to create revolutionary products, there was no part of Jobs's life that I found to be boring.
Issacson's writing is also friendly and easy to follow. He follows Jobs's life in chronological order but also groups chapters together in terms of theme. All of Jobs's achievements at Apple are separated from his personal life and that of a husband and father. Through all the chapters, the reader can really get a picture of what the man was like and how his mind worked.
What Issacson has done best in this book is also taking concepts of product development in tech and boiled them down to the essence of how it relates to Jobs. This made Jobs's story that much more interesting and allows the reader to respect the design of the products Jobs brought to life.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the neutral tone throughout. Issacson illustrates Job's genius through examples that show his attention to detail and keen business sense. He also shows that these characteristics came at the cost of being unnecessarily cruel and cold to the people that were working with him.
All in all, if you're looking to learn more about the man behind the company and the products that he created, this is definitely the book for you.
Growing up, I hated Steve Jobs.
When he unfortunately passed away in 2011, I refused to read this book because of my feelings towards him.
Fast forward a few years, I began to read this book and I finally understood the hype.
While I still think that Steve Jobs was a jerk, I have an admiration and deep respect for his work and products. This change in my view would not have been possible had I not read this book.
The reason this biography is so interesting is because:
1. It has an interesting subject
2. Has a logical flow
3. Takes concepts and makes it easy to follow
4. Is relatively unbiased
Issacson had the not so envious task of interviewing hundreds of people to then write a story of one of the world's most iconic CEOs in modern history. Despite the pressure, he has succeeded in giving a comprehensive, relatively unbiased account of a complicated, erratic, contradictory man.
After reading this book, I realized there were so many things about Jobs's life that I had no idea about. He was adopted, a hippie, a vegetarian, and definitely had an extreme un-diagnosed case of OCD. Having founded Apple, then moving to Pixar, and coming back to create revolutionary products, there was no part of Jobs's life that I found to be boring.
Issacson's writing is also friendly and easy to follow. He follows Jobs's life in chronological order but also groups chapters together in terms of theme. All of Jobs's achievements at Apple are separated from his personal life and that of a husband and father. Through all the chapters, the reader can really get a picture of what the man was like and how his mind worked.
What Issacson has done best in this book is also taking concepts of product development in tech and boiled them down to the essence of how it relates to Jobs. This made Jobs's story that much more interesting and allows the reader to respect the design of the products Jobs brought to life.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the neutral tone throughout. Issacson illustrates Job's genius through examples that show his attention to detail and keen business sense. He also shows that these characteristics came at the cost of being unnecessarily cruel and cold to the people that were working with him.
All in all, if you're looking to learn more about the man behind the company and the products that he created, this is definitely the book for you.
People who have never taken acid will never fully be able to understand me.
...
Yep, maybe, but that's not really a reason to take the drug, sorry Steve.
As the quote above suggests, he did a lot of drugs. And when I say "a lot", I mean A LOT. Maybe it's part of his generation, I don't know. What I do know is that I'm not a fan. You can call me a prude but most drugs are horrible for your mind and body and to me it's like needing alcohol in order to feel relaxed and have a good time - if that is the case, then something is seriously wrong with you and you should take a step or two back and really look at your life. Moreover, considering Jobs' motto of "my body is my temple", his innumerous cleanses and diets and stuff, it is hilarious what he did to his body by using acid and other hardcore drugs.
I remember encountering my first Apple product, one of the first iPods (the clunky white one), back in 2005 when travelling through the US with my then best friend and his sister. We even went to the SF Apple store. It wasn't until 2 years later that I saw and bought one of the iPods for myself (a smaller, silver one). I gifted that one to someone when I bought the newer black Nano (the first time they offered them in different colours). I still miss that click wheel. Not as elegant as the touch screen maybe, but when you locked the keys and played with that wheel, it was therapeutic, I'm telling you. *lol*
In late 2009 I saw the Apple iPhone 3GS and bought it. Sadly, eventually (to be clear: we're talking about ~5 years) the software updates were too much for it. Then came the Android period with countless different brands since none of them were any good. Until I went back to Apple about a year or two later and stuck with it. In fact, I bought an iPad in late 2016, too, followed last year by a Macbook Pro. The reason? All the cheaper devices weren't really cheaper when you consider how often I had to buy new ones (laptops as well) compared to how long the Apple devices last. Not to mention that I barely need any extra software.
All this is not to show off but to emphasize that I know both Apple and Android, Apple and Windows.
As Lev Grossman, a technology writer for Time magazine said when he reviewed the iPhone: "When our tools don’t work, we tend to blame ourselves, for being too stupid or not reading the manual or having too-fat fingers…. When our tools are broken, we feel broken. And when somebody fixes one, we feel a tiny bit more whole."
Apple combines the best things out there, sometimes introducing entirely new things, more often improving ideas already floating in the ether. As Daniel Lyons put it:
"He [Jobs] has the uncanny ability to cook up gadgets that we didn't know we needed, but then suddenly can't live without".
Which is certainly true for me. I had had an e-reader before and my iPod but I was struck by how much I loved to have just one device being able to do it all. And now? Now I love having a slightly smaller computer with me at cafés or the library, being able to listen to audiobooks, read ebooks and comics or watch movies, check my e-mails or Twitter while also surfing and doing stuff with photographs - all with just this one little machine.
But back to the actual book: Yes, it is about one of the most famous men on the planet. Steve Jobs. The Apple guy. Known for his eccentricities/rudeness more than most others (which includes Elon Musk), he was involved in Pixar and most other technological revolutions that shaped the world we are living in today. He made Apple be an end-to-end solution, he invented the Apple kind of stores, he decided on certain designs and is personally responsible for the iPod and iPhone as well as iTunes. Maybe he didn't do all of it alone from start to finish but it usually was his idea or his spin on someone else's. He also combined innovative technology with artful design like no other. Most importantly, he had an accute sense of what would become a hit (with only few exceptions), transforming entire industries that way.
It is therefore all the more incredible how often people doubted him and his instinct, not daring to take the leap of faith he wanted them to take. Another similarity to Elon Musk. Seriously, while reading this (and I'll further confirm that upon reading more biographies of tech titans) there are these undeniable similarities. To some extent, these men are geniuses but in return they often lack social skills or soft skills. Sometimes we're talking about stuff I don't really care about because I myself am fed up with "political correctness" (which has become a new word for "lies"), but at other times I can scarcely believe how they treat even loved ones. Nevertheless, when it comes to their work, success proves them right time and time again so I don't understand how the naysayers can persist.
The book starts with Jobs being adopted, then proceeds to show us his childhood years, moving on to his teenage years, meeting Wozniak and other important movers and shakers of what was to become Silicon Valley (named by a journalist by the way). We meet numerous girlfriends, find out about Jobs' first child and how abysmally he behaved towards her and her mother at least for some time. But most importantly we follow Jobs' career. His interaction with people like Bill Gates (by the way: not as charming and "nice" as some might think either), his passion, his drive, the ups and downs (sometimes deserved and sometimes not) and like that we travel through time from 1983 to 2011 to see marvellous inventions being made and shaping the globe. We're talking about devices as much as music and animated movies that we're taking for granted nowadays.
There is one thing I happen to completely agree with Jobs about: PowerPoint presentations. Blargh! So many corporate people have cluttered slides to hide the fact that they don't really know what the hell they are talking about so the beamer plasters the wall with texttexttext - no wonder Charles Stross described these presentations as a way of transforming people into zombies to serve Eldritch Gods!
We get to know Steve Jobs, the guy crying hysterically during company meetings, the boy who had been given up for adoption but who was also made feel extra special by the parents who chose him, the husband and father, the aesthetic, the stubborn mule, the perfectionist designer, the savior of the company he once famously founded in his parents' garage. It was very interesting to see the different facets of this man - but also of the people around him.
One thing I always hate and from which Jobs' wife also suffers: People like to call women "victims" of such eccentric men when their relationships don't work out, but call them successful gold-diggers when their relationships do work out. WTF?! So his wife was accomplished, met Jobs, eventually married him, had his child, then gave up her career to have more children with him - and that makes her cold and calculating, having hunted Jobs down?! Simultaneously, these men are painted as insanely intelligent but are supposedly too stupid to know when a woman is only after their money?! Right!
Anyway, this also shows the interesting effect of these interviews not only painting a picture of Jobs himself, but of the people giving the interviews as well (like Bill Gates). I wonder if they knew that going in.
I must admit that I probably would have either just walked away from or given Steve Jobs a piece of my mind had we ever met. Especially because of how he treated his daughters (even worse than his son), not to mention how he abandoned the daughter he had with his then girlfriend. However, the fascinating thing was how all of the people around him had at least one neurosis each. His first daughter's character didn't come as a surprise considering her parentage (yes, her mother was a piece of work as well), but also the other business people, friends and mentors. *shakes head in disbelief* It's either something in the water or all the drugs these people took in earlier years.
The book also emphasized what a fickle beast the stock market is. Incredible to see what made the stock either lose or gain value. *shakes head*
While I am using a smartphone and Apple products, I'm definitely not a tech wiz as the kids are calling it these days. However, I like elegant and beautiful designs combined with powerful technology as much as the next person and Apple definitely delivers that. One can argue endlessly about the end-to-end topic but at the end of the day, you need to trust a tech company (for data security, about the hardware guarantee or whatever else) and when I look around, I trust Apple more than the others. Sure, they want money, the shareholders want that even more and it's "just" a company. However, it's also Apple and that includes a certain philosophy they maintain until this day - from liking eco-friendly materials to the way their campus is designed or how they treated the FBI request for hacking a certain iPhone a few years ago. And their influence/money/size directly translates to how firmly they can stand their ground.
Moreover, I had Windows / Android and Apple by now and I'm pretty sure I'll stay in the fruit department even if the hardware is a bit more expensive (though in case of smartphones not really, not any more) and although I will never be one of those camping in front of a store when a new product is launched. Because it just works. More simply, more sleek. All my devices "talk" to each other, making data transfers faster and easier, using the devices is intuitive (also because they basically all work the same) and the quality is undeniable. Simplicity and unity.
Yes, an Opel car is also a car - it has tires, a seat, a steering wheel - but if you have the money to buy a Mercedes, BMW or any other high-end car, wouldn't you do it? It's not necessary, sure, but it's nice.
I'd like you to watch this. It's one of the Apple ads, one of the newer ones and it's showing the simplicity that yet has impact. From architects to engineers to the marketing staff - these people know what they are doing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcGPI2tV2yY They aren't just selling a product but an entire lifestyle.
And although this isn't in the book since it is from 2011, let me point out another innovation we have thanks to Apple: voice, fingerprint and face ID. Think about the movies from the 80s, 90s or early 2000s where we saw that in thrillers and scifi movies and thought it was sooo cool. It's now commercially available for everyone! Sure, considering today's standards and how little the security industry is keeping pace (to say nothing of us users not being able to keep up either), I wouldn't connect my entire house yet. But eventually? It's coming, I'm sure of it. Hello I, Robot, Altered Carbon and Almost Human. :D
An interesting side-story was that of Steve Jobs and Rupert Murdoch with Jobs telling Murdoch that Fox News was a stain on Murdoch's reputation and that nowadays it wasn't liberal vs conservative but constructive vs destructive and that Fox News was in the latter category which was bad for the entire country. That was long before the current presidency and before the polar opposites in the US became so blatantly obvious. So very interesting.
Some losses are felt more deeply than others. Either because you knew (and usually liked / respected) a person personally or because the deceased severely influenced the world and thus your own personal life so them no longer being there leaves you in the dark for a moment, unsure of the future. Steve Jobs was such a man.
There aren't too many like him but I hope there will be others that will do for humanity what he did.
Concluding, I can say that this is one hell of a (true) story and one hell of a great way of bringing it to the page. The author knows how to envoke the times and places he takes us to and must have done one hell of a lot of (thorough) research, trying to give the reader a complete view on the events surrounding Steve Jobs as much as the complex and usually not easy man himself. Moreover, he definitely knows and understands the history and evolution of Silicon Valley and several of its leading companies (then and now) which enabled him to present this biography to the readers before a fascinating background of innovation.
Anyone interested even only a little in technology and what is possible if the right kind of people get together should read this book. The author is extremely good at explaining the respective time period and how people lived and thought back then as well as giving a 360° examination of the person he's writing the biography about. I will certainly read other books by this author soon.
great brutally honest biography - i liked his support of cancer research in the end
After reading this book, I feel like Steve Jobs is fairly humanized, at least in my mind. To be honest, I never really knew how much Jobs contributed to the creation of his products. I understand now: it's complicated. But Issacson took me to all the right places in Jobs life, and perhaps, I have learned something from it.