“As predicted by Amazon following its release, Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Steve Jobs has become the retailer’s best-selling book of 2011,” Eric Slivka reports for MacRumors.
“The milestone is a remarkable one given that the book did not debut until late October,” Slivka reports. “Steve Jobs quickly rose to #13 on the list following its debut, which was moved up in the wake of Jobs’ death in early October. By mid-November the title had risen to #2 on the list, setting the stage for its accession to the top spot.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Even after his passing, Steve Jobs continues to amaze.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Lynn Weiler” and “Sarah” for the heads up.]
It’s a disgrace that it’s sold on Amazon though.
Why is it a disgrace? Please tell me.
Unfortunately, the quality of this biography severy lacking due to drastically shrank schedule.
Many of important and controversial stories were not commented by Jobs at all, and readers are made to think that this is a gospel version of events. Some important biographic events (like Jobs foray into USA’s parliament back in 1979) were not covered at all.
Probably another 200 pages are missing from this book.
Hopefully they’ll keep working on it and release a “director’s cut” edition eventually.
Basically a Steve Jobs 2.0 release.
I’d buy that too.
I agree with much of the criticism of the biography that’s out there. It’s an interesting read, but it didn’t tell me what Steve was thinking and feeling during some of his more important decisions and about some of his family issues. Isaacson did a bunch of trite pop psychology that left me wondering if he ever really understood Steve at all or really asked the questions he should have asked.
I agree with dress, there’s probably another 200 pages that should have been written. Perhaps Biography 2.0 in another year?
It is apparent that Isaacson only had few proper meeting with Jobs to discuss events of his life. Most of these “over 40 interviews” were one-liner phone calls.
Since Jobs has died, there is probably no way to receive his view on some events that were described in this biography and left without his comment, nor, of course, discuss events that did not even appear in this biography.
This means that quite important parts of Jobs life will forever left at “grace” of other people’s memoires. Biography 2.0 would be welcome, but it would be still lacking from this slanted pop psychology view from Isaacson and no contest from Jobs.
Too bad the bio wasn’t as good as it could have been. What a wasted opportunity.
I am not sure whom to blame for ‘wasted opportunity’ — whether Isaacson did not solicit enough meetings with Jobs to get his view on the story, or he wanted to do this, but Jobs’ illness and Isaacson’s own schedule made it impossible.
Any way, I got really annoyed how Isaacson discarded Jobs’ reasoning of his actions even when he quoted him, and basically always sided with other people’s views of events, even when there were no multiple accounts to support these non-Jobs versions. Somehow Jobs had to be always “wrong”, “exaggerating”, “overly harsh”, but other people, according to Isaacson, were always accurate.
Isaacson tried to put Jobs in cliche that he had in his mind, depriving Jobs of humanity in cases even it was shown quite apparently. For example, when Jobs called Amelio to comfort him after he was ousted by the Board, Isaacson has no explanation of this act by Jobs other it being some unexplainable “urge”.
The thought that Jobs could sometimes have empathy and compassion did not even cross Isaacson’s mind. It did not fit the cliché about Jobs.
I agree with your assessment. It seems that Isaacson had a preconception of Jobs and never changed his mind.
Of uIn that particular instance Isaacson was better off to leave it as he wrote it. There was no humanity in that act anyway.
Jobs lied to Amelio, worked behind his back to ouster him and then called to comfort the guy? He didn’t feel bad for amelio one bit. He called to make himself feel better for being a dickhead. Even assholes have feelings of guilt.
Now with that said Steve did the right thing getting him kicked out. I just fail to see the humanity in that event one bit.
Im not shocked Isaacson didn’t “get” Steve jobs. I bet none of us do. Thats what made him a one of a kind genius.
Where Jobs lied if it was the Board who has made the decision to cancel Amelio’s contract. Jobs asked no one for that and was rather passive and reluctant about this whole time according to all accounts.
Thus while he, as the Board, thought that Amelio was not proper CEO for Apple, this has nothing to do with lying in this particular case.
So yes, Jobs remembered how bad it is to get fired and decided to give an advice to Amelio about how to deal with it.
Im not claiming jobs single handedly had him tossed.
He lied when he said “I don’t know how this happened”. He knew and he had been planting seeds in the board roon to make it happen.
I would have had more respect for him in this instance had he called Amelio and said “You’re a bozo at this and we both knew you weren’t going to last.” Truth beats sugar.
Seemed to me thats what he was thinking the whole time. He was passive about it… passive aggressive.
Fascinating ride the guy took i have got to hand him kudos there I found his period of dealing with his illness and the end to be full of emotion and very “human”.
I think the big chasm in opinions on the book proves it was well done. People couldn’t figure Steve out in life and the book has got everyone talking about him and still trying to figure him out.
Good book about an amazing man imho
I do not remember the quote about him “not knowing”. He said he had nothing to do with this decision (which is totally different thing from “not knowing”), and there is no information he was planting seeds in that case. If Board members asked his opinion, he answered. Not less and not more than that.
Bought the hardback & digital copy and happy to spend the money. Steve P Jobs …. Legend! … RIP.