Steve Jobs has been called many things from genius to jerk.  When it came to his work life and his vision he did not care if you were family, friend, or person who could make his life a whole lot easier.  He was focused to a fault.  He was outspoken, irritating, irrational, and cocky.  So how did such a man who was even fired from his own company, make such a big impact on the way we live today?  How did someone like this carry a vision that literally has employed millions of people all over the world and his products become practically  a household staple?

Statements taken from those who knew Steve well from family members, friends, co workers and competitors, paint a picture of Steve and it is not necessarily the one you think.  Here you will learn about the man who struggled with his failings and worked to maximize his strengths.  Always ambitious, always forward thinking, Steve Jobs.

 

 

If you have hung around here long you probably know I have been fascinated with Steve Jobs for a long time.  I have read many books and listened to many audio about this man.  I don’t condone the way he treated people – but much like in my own life, when I see someone acting out or in a way I find aggressive, I always wonder what the underlying story is.  I have felt this way about Steve.  I believe another reason I like reading about him is that I LOVE the fact that he was not necessarily the brains behind the company.  He was the visionary and what he could not do himself, he found people who had the power to take his vision and make it real.  I too love to come up with the “what if’s” and bring other people into that vision to make it a reality.  I hope I don’t do it as aggressively as Steve, but I sure hope I tap into that passion.

Honestly, no matter how you feel about the man – I think most of us have to admit to owning an Apple product or an IPAD, IPOD, IPHONE, ITunes…  Think of how our world has changed around these products…. think about how we connect so much more than we once did, and how Steve’s vision raised the bar for all who follow in his footsteps to make the next big thing.

I did thoroughly enjoy this book.  As I mentioned, I have read much on Steve Jobs and this book was not rehashing the same information.  This book, personalized him and I really liked that.  It gave me more insight in to why Steve was the way he was.  I liked hearing about the man behind the hype.  This book will take you from the start of Apple, to the competitors he battled as well as friended, all the way to his final battle with cancer, that sadly, he did not win.

I listened to this on audio with George Newbern narrating. It was a wonderful insightful listen that I would encourage anyone to take the time and listen to.  No matter what your opinion of Steve, I feel the world suffered a great loss of a man with amazing vision and an ability to have others respond to his vision.

 

Listening Length: 16 hours and 21 minutes

Publisher: Random House Audio; Unabridged edition (March 24, 2015)

 

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; First edition (March 24, 2015)