Greg B's Reviews > Steve Jobs

Great book. A fascinating read about an incredibly complex man and the story behind his genius. I have a new appreciation for Apple, and understand more of why they do what they do (i.e. their notorious “closed” ecosystem: main reason they do it: simplicity).

The big take-aways from the book are:
- “Focusing is about saying no” Amazing quote. He got Apple back on track by focusing on 3-4 key areas / products.
- The intersection of humanities and technology was Steve’s favorite area
- Apple truly focuses on the product first, and profits naturally follow
- He was really in Zen Buddhism, the Kyoto “Zen” gardens in Japan. He loved Japan and simplicity.
- “Real artists simplify”
- He was obsessed with artists and creativity.
- He mastered the big picture vision AND the details. Very few CEOs do that.
- They do not do market research. They invent things you didn’t even know you wanted yet.

Overall, he was really different. There were so many things that blew my hair back. His trip to India, his obsession with design, his comments, the way he dealt with people. There was so much about him I never knew. He certainly was a unique individual.