Chris Hokanson's Reviews > Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
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it was ok

I'll have a lot more to say later, but I'll say this now. This book feels like only half of a biography. Walter Isaacson's utter lack of knowledge, research and interest in the entire arena of technology is painfully evident throughout the book. The personal side of Jobs - his almost bi-polarity and his affect on his relationships, is well documented in the pop-psychology style of a news magazine. But Jobs's insight into his own products and into the tech world at large is sorely missed. Isaacson briefly mentions the various technology controversies, battles and decisions he was involve in, but Jobs's side of the story and/or opinion is missing completely. This does not feel like a book that was conducted after 40 interviews. Isaacson's personal access to Jobs is obvious in the last few chapters, but the first 3/4 of the book feel like a poor amalgamation of the other existing Jobs biographies and Apple histories by someone wholly unqualified to write it. As a friend quipped, it feels like a bio of Steve Jobs the celebrity, not Steve Jobs the tech visionary.
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Reading Progress

October 23, 2011 – Shelved
December 5, 2011 – Started Reading
December 5, 2011 –
10.0%
December 20, 2011 –
20.0%
January 30, 2012 –
30.0%
February 23, 2012 –
55.0%
February 26, 2012 – Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-4 of 4 (4 new)

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message 1: by Rebecca (new)

Rebecca What a disappointment! Think you convinced me not to read it :(


Chris Hokanson Rebecca wrote: "What a disappointment! Think you convinced me not to read it :("

I guess I should have added that it's still worth reading. There is info and insight, especially into Jobs's family life, that you can't find anywhere else. But the book was more of a disappointment because of its potential: the only uncensored, candid access to Jobs in the last two decades and we didn't get much to show for it.


Evan McCord I guess those who wanted to have Jobs give an uncensored speech on the technology he created could have been underwhelmed but I think it was clear that this was never the purpose of the book. The theme of the book was clear: He wanted someone to be fair and honest about him as a person, not as a CEO of a technology company. Sure, maybe that was a lot of who he was but that was the tragedy of his life, this was TOO MUCH of who he was. This book was not meant to be the mother of all keynote addresses. The book was commissioned when death seemed imminent for him, if not absolutely certain. When I die, I wouldn't want a book written about what I thought about the law and landmark cases, or judges, etc. just because a lot of attorneys would think that was interesting. This was a personal book and while I didn't think it was the best biography ever written, I think it accomplished its purpose well.


Evan McCord I'd also tell you to look across the internet at the many young tech entrepreneurs who have said the book changed the outlook they have about their life and priorities. I've read several people who have said that Jobs' life full of business success but otherwise depraved of meaningful relationship have given them new perspective on what is actually important. They've dedicated more time to their family and less to work because of it. In that sense, I think the book hits home to many people in a real way - a way that would have been less possible if it was filled with 500 more pages of Ive and Jobs going back and forth about where to put a dock connector or whether to make a white iPhone.


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