More man, less tech, might have made a better book

At the end of this book Isaacson gives us some new information, especially relating to Job's family. This was great and makes the book worth the price.

But be clear that stuff up until 1985 is far better covered in the books Isaacson has taken the stories from (sometimes distorting them in the process).

Check out:
Revolution in the Valley
Infinite Loop
Return to the Little Kingdom
for the source material of these stories.

Isaacson seems to lack the knowledge of the technical aspects and the curiosity to ask people who do know to tell the wheat from the chaff in these early stories. He will present stuff that doesn't matter and trim away stuff that does. If the only source you have for these stories is Isaacson's book you will have a distorted, and sometimes false, impression of what happened.

Now I suspect Isaacson would say he was interested in the man and the life lived and not so much these technical details. That's, in fact what I expected this book to be about with most of this tech stuff skimmed over. But Isaacson chooses to put in a substantial amount of details where he clearly doesn't know what they mean in themselves and fails to examine usefully what they tell us about the life being examined.

I don't want to give the impression this is a bad book. It is not. It is fine. But it is flawed in several ways because Isaacson seems to be disinterested in the tech and disinterested in examining what the tech means.

This could have been a better book if it was more about the man and floated past some of the tech bits that are inexact retellings of stories that Andy Hertzfeld and others have told better and, in my opinion, used better to paint what the man was like in his 20s.

I think Isaacson did not make the best use if the fact the he was given the power of 'exclusive'. As others have said, just as Steve chose the wrong guy for Apple when he chose Scully he chose the wrong guy for this book when he chose Isaacson. So many other people who had the writing skills aligned with a passionate interest in the subject could have done more with this unique opportunity. Isaacson's approach is solid, professional but pedestrian and uninspired given the amazing power he was given.

Anyway, get the book, it's well done an easily worth the money, However, do be careful about quoting too much of the details to those who are better informed on the subject because the list of corrections of technical fact and/or context you may get will be tedious for all concerned.

15 people found this helpful

Just a loooong newspaper story

Walter Isaacson commits the Cardinal literary sin of telling us what Seve Jobs did with his life rather than showing us what he did. Instead of weaving a series of narratives -- rather than relating the stories that made up the life and times of Steve Jobs -- Isaacson throws a lot of quotes at us from Jobs and others. He fills in the spaces between these quotes with a few odd details, very few of which the reader/listener can really latch onto and use to build a moving narrative in the mind's eye.

And that's a shame, considering Isaacson was writing about an evil genius who touched hundreds of millions of people, disrupted numerous industries and left behind a legacy that is already being compared to Leonardo Da Vinci.

Fact is, there is a much, much better biography of Seve Jobs, and it is even available on audible: Alan Deutchman's "The Second Coming of Seve Jobs," published in 2001. Deutchman relates all the same tales, except he actually shows us the life of this man through the power of narrative. And except that Deutchman actually includes details that are rich in evocative power.

Do yourself a favor: Download Deutchman's book; not this clunker.

12 people found this helpful

Great story, fine reader.

Firstly, I don't really understand the complaints about the reader. I thought he was fine.

This is a great book, very timely and obviously one of Steve Jobs last works with him commissioning it so that his story would be told, warts and all. I couldn't put it down.

It so sad to think that we hoped Steve Jobs would show up for the announcement of the iPhone 4S when he was in fact so close to death. The book details the back story behind the releases of the iPhone and iPad and you get the impression that Jobs put all of his strength into them once he knew that his time was limited. The impending tragedy of his early death in some way contributed to some of his greatest achievements.

Only being a recent Mac convert, much of the early history was new to me. I probably disliked Steve Jobs and Bill Gates equally throughout the 90s but my impressions of them changed throughout the book. I really have a much greater respect for Bill Gates as a result of the character that is revealed in the book. I feel I have understood what Steve Jobs was about and what he was trying to achieve. Steve Wozniak comes across as the wonderful Tom Bombadill character that we know and love.

It' s hard to summarize what I feel about Steve Jobs. So much to admire, but such a flawed character. Very thought provoking story.

7 people found this helpful

Excellent story of a sad little sociopath

I've read other semi-biographies of Jobs and, working with a lot of people in the tech industry, I'd heard many of the stories of how much of a bastard he was. However, this biography left me quite bemused and surprised: I never expected Jobs to be such a disgustingly-shameless-sociopath-brat-cry-baby! even to the last minute, with Jobs having to have control over the cover image of the book.

I don't think he would have liked much of what is inside this book; which is what makes it great.

It's amazing that Jobs sought out Isaacson to write this biography. And Isaacson, pre-warning Jobs that he was going to uncover all the dirt, delivers a very inhuman story. In Isaacson other book on Einstein, he also revealed Albert's many flaws and brought Albert down to our level. With this book, he absolutely devastates the image of Jobs as a great business leader and as human being: from his stinky hippy days, to his denial of his daughter Lisa and smear campaign of the mother, to his tyrannical and plainly mean way he constantly ripped-off and mistreated other people.

I guess Job's own reflection of his life must have been also distorted by his "reality distortion field". It's great that this book came out when it did. If anything, it shows that Steve Jobs was not in the same league as other great inventors and geniuses of the past century. Jobs just rode on the great ideas of those around him. If it was him that made those ideas successful is unclear, so Jobs is just shown as part of the greater collective that was, and remains, Apple computers.

I anything, it's good that Isaacson shows why no one should take inspiration from the cold, hard, tyrannical a**hole that was Steve Jobs. A great read! And proof you can't judge a book by its cover.

7 people found this helpful

Fantastic listening, finally a book that actually

I found this audio book to be one of the best books i have heard. It was refreshing to actually hear the real stories behind the man. There is no doubt that Walter Isaacson has truly got a very detailed behind the scene account of some of the dealings not only with Jobs, but with Apple, Pixar, Next, Mac plus much more. Fantastic book

6 people found this helpful

Very Inspiring

His life story may not be different to some of us but he has contributed significant accomplishments to the digital world. He has proven to the world that any person can make a difference regardless of where he or she came from.

6 people found this helpful

Who was Steve jobs?

Would you listen to Steve Jobs again? Why?

I would listen to this book again after a short time has passed, I worked for apple, and found it explained some of the thing I did not understand about the way the did something's, this helped me see the why in there actions. Also the book is the first real insight we get into Steve jobs, and as such it's a large book to be able to ingest all at once. There is much to discover in this books and for that I would read it again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Steve Jobs?

There was not one moment, as I am well versed in the history of apple, but I do rambler the parts where he traveled to India and sort his guru, and how he followed the zen budaist way. This was the most memorable moment as I too was born in India, understand the sights and smell he must of seen, and my parents and to some exstent also my self believe in buda. So it was nice to see a massive tech giant deal with lifes conflicting decision and what would drive him to make great products.

Which scene was your favorite?

As stated above the part heading to India, but there many other nice moment that brought a smile to my face, like working for Atari, or building the iPhone, the next cube, but there was some moments that will frustrate you also, like the canca, and what he did around his kids, how he treated people, and so on, but in the end it's all one man's life and there is much that can be learn from it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It is in possible to listen to in in one sitting, but I spend the corse of two week traveling back fourth from work, listening to the story unfold.

Any additional comments?

Great book to understand the man Steve Jobs, but not the book to understand apple, or how the company will and did create the products they have. It's not a book about a poor kid becomes good, it's a real life experience on some one who was greate and a complete arsshole at times. In short read and enjoy, but don't use it as some sort of study bible.

4 people found this helpful

iInspired

Very inspiring.. i love Steve's childhood with all the "pranks", and the Tom-&-Hack team of Oaf Tobark and Berkeley Blue with their Blue-Box adventure...calling the Vatican, i wish i was there with them! Very inspiring business/life's philosophy.... a page turner! Steve Jobs, simply magical! iInspired!

4 people found this helpful

Greatest Piece of Inspiration!

If you're uncertain about career, read this.
If you want to start business, read this.
If you're struggling and are depressed, read this.
If you want inspiration, read this.

Whatever you want to achieve in life, Please read this book once.

Obsession to build products not for money, but for people to grow with better products.

Maybe I fell short to describe this book!

2 people found this helpful

Just brilliant and inspiring

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely ...It changes my outlook on life and really inspires me

Who was your favorite character and why?

Steve Job ...He has a personality that is unique and installs inpirations to others

Which character – as performed by Dylan Baker and Walter Isaacson (introduction) – was your favorite?

Steve Jobs

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Amazing look on the life of Steve Jobs and Apple ...Really inspiring

2 people found this helpful