The Book about Steve Jobs

I recently read the book about Steve Jobs entitled, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. This is a hefty 642 page biography of the driving force behind Apple.

The Game

I read this book as Mr. Jobs intended, on an iPod. There was a lot of page turning since the amount of text on a screen that size is rather limited. However, it was an important part of the reading experience. I could look at the styling of the device in my hand when seemingly obsessive compulsive arguments were being played out in the book.

I did cheat a little. I read the book on the nook app. Steve Jobs was not in first in favor of third-party apps for the Apple store. He wanted to ensure control over the entire user experience: hardware, software, store front.

Win Condition

Also of note, I would not have been able to finish this book had I had to handle the physical heft that comes from a biography of this scope.

This is easily one of the best biographical books I have ever read. It has a compelling storytelling form that moves through time appropriately to tell the current part of the story. The book builds your knowledge so that there is an intrinsic understanding of “I told you that story to tell you this one”. The intuitive feel of the story emphasized one of the important aspects of the man, Steve Jobs.

Jobs was a visionary, able to tell people what they wanted before they wanted it. It was most impressive that he was at the intersection of the computer industry, the music industry and the movie industry (with the often overlooked Pixar) all at the same time. Whether you are a Mac enthusiast or not (I am in the latter camp), the lessons that Apple teaches are appropriate.

• Give the customer the best experience possible, even if they do not yet know what that is.
• Don’t outsource creativity, “Think Different”.
• Make things simpler and easier; eschew instruction manuals.

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