Jeff Kowalk's Reviews > Steve Jobs

This is a masterpiece biography. Isaacson formulates a well-balanced and interesting story of both the achievements and the pitfalls of a tremendous businessman and visionary. Much of the dialogue follows a timeline of the subject's life, with brief interludes to the timelines of Apple and Pixar.

I appreciated that the author is truthful in his description of Jobs' personality, letting the reader know that this is not a 'nice guy.' Jobs knew he might not like everything Isaacson wrote about him, but accepted that as part of the job of a good biographer. I further enjoyed how Isaacson balanced the prevailing truth about Jobs' caustic identity with a deeper look at his leadership and how Jobs motivated people to succeed in delivering so many astounding products to the world. I saw that in spite of his accomplishments, Jobs was just another human with many flaws, like the rest of us. In the end, I was left disgusted, inspired, and yet strangely appreciative of Steve Jobs' life and work. I was saddened by the description of his twilight time and feel like I will miss him after his passing. That's what makes this book a well-balanced look at a remarkable life.

Steve Jobs definitely changed the world in which I write this review today. The businesses of computing, music, movies, publishing, and others owe him a great deal. It was interesting to see the big picture through the eyes of Steve Jobs, and I'm glad that Jobs convinced Isaacson to pursue this biography before his passing.

Pick this up if you enjoy reading about business leaders, or even if you are interested in the history of computing and consumer electronics from the mid-80s to 2010. Recommended.