Book Review: Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is a fascinating look at the life of a genius. Much has been written in homage and tribute to a man who will be listed with Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison as a major contributor to life as we know it. Jobs died too young and yet his Apple legacy will live on and flourish.

Mr.Isaacson was given unprecedented access to interview Jobs himself, people who influenced Jobs and were influenced by him, review photos and data, and finally write a very unedited portrait of Steve Jobs. Isaacson, obviously admired the man, and yet he gives a very unvarnished picture of an egomaniac jerk, who could inspire many, and demand absolute perfection. There are a lot of unflattering scenes and incidents, and yet they add up to give a full image of Steve Jobs.

I was fascinated, repulsed, and in awe of Steve Jobs based on this book. I saw him speak once out in Silicon Valley. I don't remember the speech. I don't know that I fully comprehended what the heck he talked about. However, he was a commanding presence in his black shirt, his thin reedy voice speaking without notes, his enthusiasm for the subject, and his utter confidence, intellect, and magnetism. This was the Steve Jobs that took Apple to a high level, was basically fired from his own company, founded NeXt, gave a new lease on life to Pixar, re-took Apple, and zoomed it to dizzying heights with the iPod, iPhone, iTunes, iPad, and ultimately more iProduct that we didn't know we needed.

The book is well written, thoroughly researched, and compelling. Steve Jobs, the man, was totally nuts from a "normal" perspective. Steve Jobs, the genius, was awesomely amazingly on a whole other level from "normal", and we - the human race - have benefited.

RIP, Steve Jobs. You are probably driving God and Heaven crazy with a re-design.