Ann Yeong's Reviews > Steve Jobs

The lens through which I read this book is probably quite different from most readers'. And that is because I started reading this book after a spiritual retreat in which I heard a deeper call to embrace the person that I am, accepting both light and darkness, talent and handicaps - all of myself - as gift. And in Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, I was allowed to be fascinated, at times appalled, at how both incredible light and repulsive darkness were part of the amazing story of a man who revolutionised more than one industry, transformed lives (for good AND ill), and learned slowly to love and mentor others, all the while being a very flawed, yet loved, human being.

I was drawn to the genius, vision, passion, and unique creativity of this man who was equally fascinated by technology and art, science and humanities. I admired his conviction and integrity (in being true to who he was) even as I was horrified at his personal hygiene and cruelty to people. I cannot help but respect his focus and brilliance and pondered what an incredibly hard time I would have in accepting someone like him fully in my life... especially if it were myself.

"Steve Jobs" was also a wonderful read because I came of age in the same decade that saw the birth of the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad - products that literally transformed the way we lived. I felt like I was given a backstage pass to see the "why" and "how" behind some of the big changes that defined the way my generation lived.

I doubt many readers would experience this book as spiritual reading, and yet that was how I experienced it. Dare I trust that the person that I am - with everything attractive and repulsive about me - is gift, and that at the end of the day, the world would be poorer without me in it? Reading "Steve Jobs" has given me great comfort that in God's hands, the answer is "yes."