Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
First, let me start by saying… wow! What an incredible book.
This is not a book on business but a book on one mans extraordinary life. Yet, somehow I feel like I have been left with an education on business, life and entrepreneurship that no college could provide. Such is the detail that has been masterfully presented by Walter Isaacson. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of time and effort it took Isaacson to complete this most intricate biography, but what else does Steve Jobs deserve? To not have his story told would be a crime.
Was Steve Jobs smart? He is more of a genius in a magical way than he is smart. Just take a look at the industries he redefined:
- Creating the personal computer industry with Steve Wozniak and the Apple II
- Changing the way we used PC’s with the Macintosh’s graphical user interface, which he stole from Xerox and Bill Gates stole from him!
- Opening up the miracle of digital animation with Pixar and Toy Story
- Defining his brand through the infamous and outrageously successful Apple Stores
- The iPod which changed the way we consume music and the iTunes store which saved the music industry
- The iPhone which has revolutionised the mobile phone industry and still makes all its competitors look like ugly ducklings
- The App store which spawned a new content creation industry
- The iPad which launched tablet computing and a new platform for digital newspapers, magazines and subscriptions
- iCloud which finally allows devices and data to sync beautifully, and,
- Apple itself which is of course Jobs’ greatest creation as the most valuable company on earth!
Now that is one hell of a resume, and I would say he definitely pulled off a little magic to get all that done in his 56 years on this planet.
It is clear I am a fan, of Apple. I have been an passionate Apple man since 2000. But am I a fan of the man?
A lot has been said of Jobs’ “reality distortion field” yet I am not so sure I believe that that is what it really is. Yes, Steve Jobs was a persuasive man and managed to squeeze every last drop of creativity, and life is some cases, out of most of those who were lucky or unlucky enough to work for him. But, perhaps a more suitable description of his powers of persuasion should have been MBA (Manipulative Bullshit Artist).
I say that with the utmost respect for what Steve has achieved… but he wasn’t exactly the nicest man on the planet. You couldn’t say he was loyal, yet he expected uncompromising loyalty from all those around him. You couldn’t really say he was all that loving either as even though he was adopted, he still denied being the father of his estranged daughter Lisa for many years and deprived his own children of much of his time.
Yet, could it have been any other way? Could he have achieved all the above while being an attentive and doting father?
Apple was his favourite child.
And I can honestly say that I am personally grateful for that dedication and sacrifice he made as I heavily rely on my iPhone, Apple TV, Macbook Air, iMac and iPad for seamless integration, easy consumption and just pure beauty.
Would I buy a PC? Never. Steve Jobs changed the way I live each day. He made it easier and more fun in many ways.
This is not a particularly emotional book, but I have to admit the ending really got me. When asked about life and death, Jobs admitted his desire in believing in an after life mainly because he couldn’t accept he could possibly learn so much in one life and then it’s just gone.
“But on the other hand, perhaps it’s like an on-off switch… Click! And you’re gone.”
After a pause he said, “……”
I will let you discover the poignancy of the last sentence for yourself.
