“A handful of presumptive biographers have, over the years, tried to tell the remarkable story of Steven P. Jobs: the youthful visionary who, after being ousted from Apple, the company he helped to found, triumphantly returned to lead a new era of high-tech innovation,” brad Stone reports for The New York Times. “But those efforts lacked one important ingredient: cooperation from Mr. Jobs himself.”
“Now Apple’s chief executive is set to collaborate on an authorized biography, to be written by Walter Isaacson, the former managing editor of Time magazine [and author of Einstein: His Life and Universe, Kissinger: A Biography, and Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, among others], according to two people briefed on the project,” Stone reports.
“The book, which is in the early planning stages, would cover the entire life of Mr. Jobs, from his youth in the area now known as Silicon Valley through his years at Apple, these people said. Mr. Jobs, who will turn 55 on Feb. 24, has invited Mr. Isaacson to tour his childhood home, one person with knowledge of the discussion said,” Stone reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Lava_Head_UK” for the heads up.]
Wait a few days and you will see Bill Gate’s announcement that he will authorize some body to write his authorized biography.
I’ll wait for the movie to come out… staring Kiefer Sutherland.
Admittedly by saying this I’m starting it, but prepare for the speculation that he’s dying. I in know way think he is.
we’re all dying
but how many of us have truly lived , like mr jobs ?
Bestseller!!!
Excellent choice….for both.
@HMCIV
If you stare at Kiefer Sutherland you’ll go blind.
One for the iPad !
Tour his childhood home? Steve owns it?
This is good news. A biography from the subject’s perspective. And yes we’re all gonna be leaving this planet sooner or later … tis a fact most ppl avoid thinking about.
Cool. Do you think it will be an iBookstore exclusive? Doesn’t matter. I look forward to reading it on my iPad!
SJ may have received an estimated lifespan from his docs. Whether that’s 5 years, 10 years or what have you. He’s making sure that he has everything documented for history. Good for him. I’ll be reading this on my iPad.
Steve Jobs should give this book away for free in the iBookstore to gain yet more consumer interest in iTunes.
Good news, Isaacson will do the topic justice. I heard him give a talk when his Einstein book was released. Very capable.
It’s easy to bemoan this -Steve is dying, he wants to tell the story his way before the bitter end, etc- but no doubt Steve has had a biography in mind a long time. This is the right time, and Steve will no doubt be around to talk about it. I’ll buy the audiobook.
I hear Bill Gates has signed a bio deal with Clifford Irving, he was impressed by the Howard Hughes book.
His Titles: Sadly Predictable
And they match the biographies they are affixed to as well.
MDN magic word = “needs”
As in, “Iassacson needs an infusion of originality & the removal of his Hero Worship Gland before this will be anything more than a Disney-fied version of Jobs’ life.”
Of course, those qualities are probably why he was picked …
Cool! Can’t wait to read it!
I’m glad he’s decided to do that, he is too important (and fascinating) to miss out on his life’s journey from his point of view.
I have only one question: why now? Why not in 10 years? I refuse to speculate on the why, but the timing is somewhat curious. That said, a good biography can take a long time to research and write. It may be the detail-oriented, control-freak side of Steve to do the right thing with his life story: control the message.
I’ve read a few books about him, and concluded that the authors were akin to three blind men trying to describe an elephant. I hope if this rumor is true, that the eventual finished product does justice to a complex and compelling person.
@brian
I’ll tell you why now, because Jobs is ready to go into reclusion.
The iPad will be his swan song and he’ll leave on a high note.
Issacson is a terrific choice and unlike the poster above, I like his style, his choice materials, including layout, paper, fonts, etc., and more importantly his perspective. I would love to see him juxtapose Franklin’s contributions to the printed word and Job’s love of desktop publishing.
Dualie’s Ghost
Not only do I agree with you, but I also believe you need to have a little bit of hero worship or fascination to be able to find, appreciate, understand and want to explain all the intricacies of an historic life like Einstein, Franklin, Kissinger and Jobs.
If not, it would make for one boring read.
Will the book pick up after Pirates of Silicon Vally or will it go all the way back to Steve’s immaculate birth?
@Sarasota
I’m thinking the book will come in at around five-hundred pages, so it will definitely touch on his birth, followed by the complexities of his family life, early influences, his friends and associations, his rise and fall, his triumphs and failures, and will include warts and all.
Isaacson is meticulous in his writing style and will probably be flooded with input from those who both love, and hate, Stephen P Jobs.
After his highly-detailed examination of Franklin’s life, which required years of living in the archives, Jobs’ life story will be a walk in the park, compared to Franklin’s, because he can conduct face-to-face interviews and trust me, he won’t have to drag the information out of the interviewees.
I predict the book will become a bestseller before it’s even released.