Many MacDailyNews readers have been emailing us with their reactions and mini-reviews of “Steve Jobs,” Walter Isaacson’s biography of the late Apple co-founder.
The comments we’ve received so far range from “loved every page of it” and “couldn’t put it down” to “impersonal and detached” and “missed the full gist of the man.”
If you’ve read the book, what did you think of it?
“Steve Jobs” is available via Apple’s iBookstore for US$14.99 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch here.
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I loved how I felt like I almost knew steve by the end of the book. It made the loss even weightier.
Listening to the Audible reading by Dylan Baker. Was enjoying until Dylan pronounces OS X “Oh Es Ex” instead of “Oh Es Ten” when describing the hiring of a programmer who showed Jobs his dock app icon magnification idea. I am livid about this pronunciation error and how it was allowed to get through the completed Audible recording process. Am now going to document how many more times Dylan was allowed to say OS X this way in the remainder of the reading.
I read it and had a hard time putting it down. It is very well written and gives a very good idea of what Jobs was like, pro and con. He was a complex person, certainly with demons, and his foibles are on display here as well as his artistry and genius. RIP, Steve.
Didn’t really change my opinion of Steve, I knew the extreme and sometimes bizarre sides of his personality were necessary for him to achieve what he did. Reading about his cancer and the effect it had on his family was upsetting.
I think it will be regarded as a valuable historical document in years to come, as it tells the story of Silicon Valley pretty well, with a lot of insights that haven’t appeared elsewhere.
However, I felt ripped off because most of it had been leaked to the public before I read it. The publishers don’t deserve my money if they’re going to indulge in that kind of cynical marketing hype. The book would have sold well enough anyway, there was no need to spoil it for people..
THe book is basically empty. It says very little that was not already written elsewhere. Steve picked Walter because he could draw out people well in interviews – well he drew out almost nothing. Very few insights – very few behind the scenes stories of the actual person.
I enjoyed reading it – but it was filled with a lot of nothing if you follow the blogs regularly.
You must be joking. What book were YOU reading?
I thought it was a very very interesting read, but was looking for much much more.
For example, even though the book described how poorly Jobs treated some of the original Macintosh team, these people remained life long friends of Steve, he brought some back for future product unveilings, and yet the book didn’t explore at all the reason these people remained good and close friends of Jobs.
Other examples, completely silent on Papermaster role in Antenna-gate, more insight on why the board / compensation committee didn’t make sure that the options re-pricing was done legally. They could have accommodated Job’s request to re-price the options, only done it legally, or treated it properly from an accounting and compensation perspective. Would have loved to better understand the Ellison / Job’s relationship. Boy they really seem like they are at opposite ends of the universe. Can’t even imagine a jointly owned Apple between Jobs and Ellison!!!
Overall, a good read. Was surprised at how often Steve cried over things … There seams to have been a very deep need in him to do the most incredible things ever as if his self worth depended so much on it. Wonder how much being left for adoption had to do with it. Wanted to know more about what Steve struggled with …
I believe I will be getting the book for Christmas, so I’ll have to wait – like many others I guess.
I was disappointed with the book.
I felt the author had a lot of material (Jobs had not only gave him hours of access/interview even gave a personal tour of his boyhood home; the man was practically begging to be heard and understood/appreciated), had the best front seat of his subject and blew it.
If this was written by someone else (not having official and personal access) then it would have been a decent book. A little more than what’s on Wikipedia.
This, instead, was just skin on skeleton. It reads like a bullet points expanded to meet a deadline and page numbers. Worst part of it, the author seemed suffering from preconceived notions, full of opinions (he even try to discern brilliance from genius, Jobs being the former in his view, because Lord knows he groks Einstein etc.), yet his opinions seems uninformed to those who were there with Jobs over the decades.
I’d give this book 1/5 for being the official bio effort that was found wanting.
I share your thoughts on the book
Read it. My 11-year-old son is reading it. Lots of stuff I knew, lots of new material. Gruber’s comment that it’s out of touch on the tech side is valid — he misreads the importance of many tech details. One example — he doesn’t correctly address the ‘tempest in a teapot” nature of Antennagate, instead holding it up as an example of design over engineering.
He dives beautifully (and I think, correctly) into Jobs’ motivations and desires, and pulls no punches. He does far better with the man than with the tech he created, and I think that was the point of the biography, after all.
The literary references in the chapter headings were VERY clever. A real treat.
Fantastic book. Weird that he has not been able to read it himself. Joni Yve was one of his greatest gift in getting what he wanted to achieve. That’s where I am in the book. Can’ wait to continue reading
It’s big. I’ve only read the first chapter but so far so good.
Loved the book. Thought the author did a great job. The way he organized the chapters was great. Steve always picked the best person for the job. Mr Isaacson is definitely an “A” person.
I was surprised how much I had heard but loved the new details about Steve.
SJ seemed to have a vision of having computer match human capabilities as the computers grew in power. I saw this in the first Macintosh whose graphic allowed for beleiveable graphics. The next two and a half decades played this out. I am surprised the biographer was not able to get a better vision of where Steve was going beyond his personal history.
It together with sister Mona Simpson’s eulogy gives us a start in learning about Steve Jobs. Just a start. I think Steve suffered far more than the book describes, and by now has learned major life lessons. Taken far too young.
I’ve known ppl who did the whole euphoria fruitarian fasting regime, did it myself; it makes one ultra sensitive and ironically can lead to serious digestive problems. Live and learn. Steve was extraordinarily good at being alert and learning so will not make the same mistakes next time around, or ever.
Isaacson seems to lack empathy for jobs, maybe that’s how biographies go, I don’t tend to read often, so I don’t know. Otherwise, I like it, especially, when it gets into Apple’s inner circle. Sometimes, however, it reads like company book, but how could it not.
I’m enjoying the hard cover edition of the book at home, the ebook on the road.. Very interesting read!
If you want more in depth conversation on the topic, check out 5by5.tv, The Talk Show with John Gruber and Dan Benjamin. (Talk Show #66 ‘Stuck Watching the Seahawks’)
These two guys are always fun to listen to..
Walter Isaacson jobbed Jobs.
I’m half way through the book and l am loving it. I grew up in Los Altos and my dad, who worked as a machinist with Steve’s dad at Spectra Physics, loves to tell me how Paul Jobs complained about his “hippie son” who had the whole house strewn with electronics parts.
The book brings back vivid memories for me and my dad (I sent him a copy) about Silicon Valley in the ’60’s and ’70’s. The book tells reveals details about the rise, fall and rise of Apple that I never knew before.
Best book since Malcolm Gladwell’s books!!
Haven’t read it yet, but based on some of the negative press it had received, it seems what we really want is Steve’s memoirs. That would, as one blogger put it, explain what made Steve tick.
I finished the book thinking just one thing: Isaacson simply did not “get” Steve Jobs. He explains everything by going back to this idea that Steve Jobs’s actions were guided by his magical thinking. Isaacson repeats that word 1000x instead of trying to get into Steve Jobs’ head, and understanding his motives, etc.
I’ve learned more about Jobs reading quotes of his and watching videos that are readily available. I also intend to read one of his sister’s books which is supposedly a very accurate portrayal of his whole personality.
Having never read his other biographies, I wonder whether Jobs knew that Isaacson wouldn’t be able to get into his head, so to speak, and reveal to the world all the things he worked to keep private while he was alive. If that’s the case, he would be satisfied with the book. Otherwise, I think he’d be disappointed the the definitive, authorized biography of his life is so boring and unremarkable.
The cover may be the best thing about the book…
Just finished it this morning. It was an emotional roller coaster ride. Felt love then anger and ended with respect. It has been said great men often have great flaws. This certainly true. I think the book captures both the good and the bad of SJ.
I love Jobs and Apple. Reading about some the the particulars of his dark side I found myself feeling anger. Howeve, by the end of the book I found respect. Not excusing his dark side, it he book demonstrate how it was both the strengths and weaknesses of SJ that made Apple the great company and it’s great products. Apple, it’s products and it’s employees would never have been what they are without both side of SJ. I think the author did a great job of showing both sides, why they both were indispensable to Apple without excusing the bad but helping the read respect the good.
In the end, the book gave me an even great fondness for SJ and Apple. Well written. Kept me turning pages. Learned a lot about an era and many behind the scenes issues and personalities.
Highly recommend book but you must finish it. There is a very long quotation of SJ at the end of the book thar made it all worth while. But don’t read it first! Read it in context. It was this quote the brought a wonderful closure to the highes and lows of SJ’s life and my emotion roller coaster ride
Well done book.
I found the book to be delicious!
– Nom nom
Not the best Biography have read, but it was about the most interesting person i think of so it kind of balances its self out. for the people out there who have never heard of Steve Jobs (i know there are a few) i couldn’t recommend it but for anyone else it’s a must read purely because of the subject matter.