Find out how Apple’s Steve Jobs became a worldwide technology icon
Buy book - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
What exactly is the subject of the Steve Jobs book?
This book recounts the daring and adventurous life of Steve Jobs, the brilliant entrepreneur and quirky creator of Apple, in a narrative that is both entertaining and informative. Steve Jobs highlights the man's successful endeavors as well as the struggles he faced along the road, beginning with his early encounters with spirituality and LSD and on to his peak as a global tech hero.
Who has read the biography of Steve Jobs?
- Anyone who is interested in the tumultuous creative life of entrepreneur Steve Jobs should read this.
- Anyone who is interested in learning how Apple attained such enormous success should read this.
- Anyone who is impressed by the individuals that design the daily technological devices that we use
Who is Walter Isaacson, and what is his background?
Walter Isaacson is an American author and biographer who lives in New York City. Prior to this, he served as editor-in-chief of TIME magazine and as CEO and chairman of the CNN television news network. Isaacson is the author of best-selling biographies of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, as well as American Sketches, a collection of essays on American history (2003).
What exactly is in it for me? Discover how Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, rose to become a global technological icon.
To exaggerate the significance of Steve Jobs' contributions to the development of our modern, computer-mediated world would be difficult to do justice. Jobs, a single-minded perfectionist, was also a visionary who wished to transform the world via technological advancement. This best-selling book reveals that although Jobs's perfectionism and passion propelled him to greatness, those same characteristics were also the source of friction and strife inside the company. Jobs's conduct was often characterized as brattish in his interactions with workers and colleagues, despite the fact that Jobs maintained that he was just attempting to motivate people to do their best work. The following notes detail the fascinating life of one of the most influential technology icons of our time, as well as the incredible story of a teenage prank that resulted in the formation of a partnership that would go on to become one of the most valuable technology companies on the face of the planet.
In addition, you will learn how LSD and meditation contributed to the development of today's technological devices; why Woody or Buzz Lightyear would not have existed without Steve Jobs; and why Jobs tragically thought that acupuncture and eating fruit would heal his illness.
An engineering and design passion was fostered in Jobs by his handyman father and his prankster best friend, among other influences.
Abdulfattah Jandali and Joanne Schieble had their first child, a son, on February 24, 1955. Jandali and Schieble, on the other hand, would not be the ones to raise their kid. Because Schieble came from a strict Catholic family that would reject her if she had a kid with a Muslim guy, the couple was compelled to place the child for adoption after the birth of their child. Consequently, the kid was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, a couple from Silicon Valley who called him Steven after their son, Steven. Paul attempted to instill his passion for mechanics in Steve from a young age, and Steve remembers being fascinated by his father's attention to detail and attention to detail. For example, if the family need a cabinet, Paul would simply construct one with Steve's assistance throughout the construction process.
Aside from that, the family's clever but affordable Eichler home — a contemporary "everyman" home with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and an open floor plan – inspired Steveobsessive "'s interest in clean, beautiful design. Later, while still in high school, Steve Jobs met Steve Wozniak, with whom he instantly connected. In comparison to Jobs, Wozniak was five years older and already a skilled computer technician, from whom Jobs learnt a great deal about computers and computers' applications. Jobs and Wozniak were, in many respects, ordinary young lads who enjoyed pulling practical jokes on their peers. But they were also fascinated by the prospect of exploring the realm of electronics and seeing what they might come up with. Combining their two passions, they created their first product in 1971: the "Blue Box," a gadget that enabled customers to make free long-distance telephone calls.
Wozniak provided the concept, and Jobs converted the idea into a profitable company by using $40 worth of components to create a gadget that sold for $150 dollars. The duo sold almost 100 boxes, giving them a taste of what they might accomplish with Wozniak's technical talents and Jobs' vision. Wozniak's engineering skills and Jobs' vision were combined to create a revolutionary product.
Jobs' fascination with spirituality, LSD, and the arts influenced his aesthetic sensibility and intense concentration.
In the late 1960s, the interests and inquisitive cultures of geeks and hippies started to converge, resulting in the creation of a hybrid culture. Consequently, it was probably inevitable that Jobs, in addition to his interests in mathematics, physics, and electronics, would get immersed in the counterculture and begin experimenting with LSD at some point. Job's first year at college was at Reed College, a private liberal arts college in Oregon. While at Reed, Jobs got extremely serious about meditation as well as experimenting with the drug LSD with friends. It was his belief that his drug experiences enabled him to strengthen his sense of what was essential in life by demonstrating to him that there is "another side to the coin." The realization that producing amazing products was more essential than everything else in Jobs's situation was a watershed moment.
Jobs even traveled to India, where he ended up staying for seven months as part of his quest to learn more about Eastern mysticism. His personal philosophy, in especially Zen Buddhism, became profoundly ingrained in him, inspiring his minimalist aesthetic approach and exposing him to the power of intuition. Involvement with LSD and spirituality assisted him in developing what became known as Jobs's reality distortion field: if he had determined that something should occur, he could simply make it occur by distorting reality to suit his desires. In addition to his love of the arts, Jobs' minimalist style was influenced by his fascination with technology. Jobs emphasized over and over again during his career how important it was to him that Apple products have a clean and straightforward design.
During his undergraduate years, he developed this vision of himself. Despite the fact that he had dropped out of college, Jobs was permitted to continue attending courses, which he did purely for the purpose of enriching his own knowledge. One of them was a calligraphy lesson, which he excelled at and which subsequently became a major component of the graphical user interface for the Apple Mac.
They got their name from a trip to an apple orchard; their business was formed via a counterculture vision and a lot of hard work.
It seems to be an unlikely pairing: a spiritually oriented LSD aficionado working in the stodgy computer business. However, by the early 1970s, a growing number of individuals were beginning to see computers as a symbol of personal expression. So, while Jobs was engaged in drugs and Zen, he was simultaneously fantasizing of launching his own company, which he eventually did. He and his buddy Steve Wozniak also had a concept for the contemporary personal computer, which they came up with at around the same time. Steve Wozniak became a member of the Homebrew Computer Club in the early days of the Silicon Valley technology revolution, a gathering place for computer "nerds" to meet and exchange ideas, with the overarching philosophy being that the counterculture and technology were a perfect marriage. Wozniak was one of the founding members of the Homebrew Computer Club, which met weekly to exchange ideas.
It was at this location that Wozniak got the inspiration for his invention. Computers of the time needed a number of different hardware components to function properly, making them complex to maintain and much more difficult to operate. Wozniak envisioned a gadget that was a self-contained box that had a keyboard, a screen, and a computer "in one package." Initially, Wozniak contemplated giving out his idea for free, in accordance with the Homebrew movement's philosophy. Jobs, on the other hand, argued that they should reap the benefits of Wozniak's innovation. As a result, in 1976, Wozniak and Jobs established Apple Computer with only $1,300 in seed money to get things started. In order to come up with a business name, Jobs and his team went to an apple orchard on the day in question, and the name "Apple" stuck since it was simple, entertaining, and instantly recognizable.
For a month, Wozniak and Jobs worked away at the construction of 100 computers by hand. Approximately one-half of the total was sold to a local computer dealer, with the other half being sold to friends and other clients. Apple's first computer, the Apple I, was on the brink of being profitable after just 30 days on the market.
Known for his tight control and volatile leadership style, Jobs was motivated by an unyielding desire for perfection.
Job's intimate friends and acquaintances would agree that the man was unpredictable, if not downright eccentric. As soon as the job didn't match his exacting standards, he would throw temper tantrums and verbally attack anyone who didn't meet them. But what was it about Jobs that made him so dictatorial and temperamental? In a nutshell, he was a perfectionist who was unforgiving of mistakes. Jobs envisioned the Apple II as a flawlessly designed, fully equipped computer that was completely integrated from beginning to finish. However, although his enthusiasm contributed to the success of the Apple II when it was introduced in 1977, it also sapped the energy and will of others working at the business. If Jobs thought an employee's work was subpar, he would tell them it was "crap," and he would get enraged if he spotted even the smallest flaw.
Jobs' behavior only got more unpredictable as the business expanded in size. Finally, Apple hired Mike Scott to be its chief executive, with his primary responsibility being to maintain more control over Jobs. Scott essentially had to face Jobs with the more difficult problems that other workers just didn't have the energy to deal with on their own. The consequence was often acrimonious conflict, with Jobs occasionally breaking down in tears as he found the prospect of ceding any control over Apple to be very distressing. Jobs found it particularly aggravating that Scott attempted to put a cap on his perfectionist tendencies. Scott, on the other hand, did not want Jobs' perfectionism to take priority over pragmatism in the workplace.
To provide just two examples, Scott intervened when Steve Jobs believed that none of the 2,000 colors of beige available for the Apple II's casing was suitable, and when Jobs spent days debating how rounded the corners of the computer case should be. Scott's primary concern was getting the case produced and marketed.
Jobs was elevated to the status of a technological icon as a result of the Macintosh, but his hatred caused him to be demoted.
The Apple II, which sold around six million units, was widely regarded as the spark that ignited the development of the personal computer industry.. It wasn't a total triumph for Jobs, though, since the Apple II was really Wozniak's masterpiece, not his own. Inventor Steve Jobs wanted to build a gadget that would "make a dent in the cosmos," as he put it. With this goal in mind, Jobs started development on the Macintosh, a successor to the Apple II that would further revolutionize personal computing and cement Jobs' status as a technological legend. But the Macintosh was not entirely Jobs' creation, since he actually took the Macintosh project away from its creator, Jef Raskin, who was a pioneer in the field of human-computer interface design. In response, Jobs developed a computer that was powered by a CPU strong enough to handle complex graphics and could be operated mostly by a mouse, which was known as the Apple IIe.
This was largely owing to a costly marketing effort that featured a spectacular television advertisement, now known as the "1984" ad, produced by Hollywood director Ridley Scott. The Macintosh went on to become an unrivaled financial success. The Macintosh debut, which coincided with the success of the ad, resulted in a kind of media chain reaction, which was beneficial to both Jobs and the product. Employing the same devious tactics that he used in the past, Jobs was able to get a number of high-profile interviews with many major publications by tricking journalists into believing that the interview he was giving them was a "exclusive." Jobs' approach was successful, and the Macintosh made him rich and well-known. He had reached the level of fame that enabled him to hire singer Ella Fitzgerald to perform at his lavish 30th birthday party, which he hosted in his home.
His perfectionism and coercive conduct toward Apple workers persisted uninterrupted throughout his tenure at the company. In the event that he believed someone was not concerned with perfection, he would continually call them out as "assholes." Jobs's snobbish conduct resulted in a confrontation with the business. Apple's board of directors voted to fire Jobs in 1985, and he left the company the following year.
Jobs' first business, NeXT, was a failure, but he found success with Pixar, a company at the forefront of animated film technology.
He discovered he could now do things precisely the way he wanted to, embracing all his good and evil sides, once he recovered from the shock of being dismissed from Apple. He began by developing a new commercial endeavor targeted at the educational sector, a computer known as the NeXT computer. With the NeXT project, Jobs was able to pursue his love for design to its fullest extent. He paid a $100,000 flat charge to have the logo created, and he demanded that the NeXT computer casing be a perfect cube, which was eventually achieved. However, Jobs' obsession with perfection made the computer difficult to design and produce.
Jobs' unyielding vision was basically the death knell for the company. Although the project came close to running out of funds, the introduction of the machine was delayed by many years, and the machine ended up being much too costly for the average customer. And, as a result of its high price and limited software library, NeXT failed to have much of an impact on the broader computer industry. Jobs, on the other hand, purchased a controlling stake in a business known as Pixar around the same time period. Jobs relished the opportunity to be a part of a business that was the ideal combination of technology and art in his capacity as chairman. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had invested nearly $50 million in Pixar by 1988, while simultaneously losing money in NeXT.
However, after years of financial difficulties, the company was able to produce Tin Toy, a film that demonstrated Pixar's distinct style of computer animation. Tin Toy went on to win the 1988 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for its achievements in the field of animation. Accordingly, Jobs determined that he needed to move his attention away from software and hardware goods, which were losing money, to Pixar, a firm that was developing cutting-edge, potentially profitable animated pictures. Pixar eventually formed a partnership with Disney to create their first feature picture, Toy Story, which was released in 1995. Toy Story, which was released in 1996, went on to become the highest-grossing film of the year.
Jobs made atonement in his personal life after leaving Apple, reuniting with his biological family and reconciling with his ex-wife.
Jobs not only gained a great deal of professional knowledge during his 12 years away from Apple, but he also progressed in his personal life. Jobs got interested about his ancestors in 1986, after the death of his adopted mother, and he embarked on a quest for his real mother that year. When he eventually tracked down Joanne Schieble, she was overcome with grief and remorse for having placed Jobs for adoption. Jobs was likewise taken aback when he discovered that he had a sister named Mona Simpson. He and Simpson were both creative and strong-willed, and their friendship developed over time. Laurene Powell was introduced to Jobs at around the same time. The couple tied the knot in 1991, with the approval of Jobs's former Zen master. Powell was already expecting their first child, Reed Paul Jobs, when they married. In addition to their first child, Erin, the couple would have two additional children.
Jobs also tried to spend more time with Lisa Brennan, a daughter from his previous marriage from whom he had been separated for a long time. With Powell's support, Jobs was able to do so. Jobs attempted to be a more involved parent to Lisa, and she ultimately moved in with Jobs and Powell and stayed with them until she went to Harvard University for her undergraduate studies. As Lisa grew older, she would have the same temperamental tendencies as Jobs, and since neither was particularly adept at reaching out and making apologies, the two might spend months without speaking to one another. In a broad sense, Jobs' approach to interacting with people in his personal life was comparable to his approach to interacting with people at business. His attitude was binary: he was either very passionate or incredibly cool, depending on the situation.
As Apple's finances began to deteriorate, Jobs returned to the firm as CEO, much like a prodigal son.
Apple began to have financial difficulties in the years after Jobs' departure. Gil Amelio was named CEO in 1996 in order to reverse the company's downturn. Amelio saw that in order to put Apple back on the correct track, it would be necessary to collaborate with a business that had new ideas. As a result, in 1997, Amelio decided to purchase NeXT's software, thus elevating Jobs to the position of adviser to Apple. After returning to Apple, Jobs asserted as much authority over the company as he was able to. In order to do this, Steve started discreetly establishing his power base by promoting his favored NeXT workers to positions of authority inside Apple. During this time period, the Apple board of directors recognized that Amelio was not going to be the company's savior. They, on the other hand, believed that the business could have another shot under Jobs.
As a result, the board of directors offered Jobs the job of CEO at Apple. Jobs, to his surprise, rejected the offer. His preference was to stay on as an adviser and to assist in the hunt for a new CEO, which was ultimately successful. Jobs took use of his position as an adviser to expand his power inside Apple. He even pushed the board of directors to quit — the very same board that had suggested he take on the CEO position – because he believed they were impeding his efforts to turn the business into something better. While serving as Apple's adviser, Jobs was also successful in establishing a relationship with competitor Microsoft, persuading the firm to develop a new version of Microsoft Office for the Mac, putting an end to a decade of court fights and causing the company's stock price to soar. Jobs eventually rose to the position of CEO, but only after considerable deliberation. He insisted that the firm concentrate on producing fewer items.
Apple had a $1.04 billion loss in fiscal year 1997. However, in 1998, the year after Jobs' first full year as CEO, the firm posted a profit of $309 million. Jobs had essentially rescued the business from bankruptcy.
The iMac and the first Apple Store were stratospheric hits thanks to their bold concepts and forward-thinking design.
The designer Jony Ive was elevated to the second-most important position at Apple behind Steve Jobs after Jobs found his visionary abilities in the designer. As a result, a relationship was formed that would go on to become the most significant industrial design cooperation of its time. A desktop computer priced about $1,200 and intended for the average customer was the first product that Jobs and Ive collaborated on. The iMac was the result of their collaboration. Jobs and Ive disrupted the traditional notion of what a computer should look like with the introduction of the iMac. With their choice of a blue, transparent casing, they were able to express their preoccupation with making the computer flawless on the inside and the outside. As a result of this design, the computer had a whimsical look. The iMac, which was introduced in May 1998, quickly became the most popular computer in Apple's history.
Jobs, on the other hand, started to be concerned that Apple's distinctive goods could get lost amid the generic products available in a technological megastore. His answer was to establish the Apple Store as a means of allowing the business to maintain complete control over the selling process. Starting with the construction of a prototype shop and the outfitting of the whole space, Jobs became obsessed with every aspect of the customer service experience and the overall aesthetic. He insisted on maintaining a feeling of simplicity throughout the process, from the time a customer enters the shop to the moment they leave via the front door of the business. The first Apple Store opened its doors in May 2001. It was a huge success, because to Jobs' meticulous design, which elevated commerce and brand image to an entirely other level.
Jobs designed the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad in order to maintain complete control over the digital experience.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs devised a new, broad plan after seeing success with the Apple Store and the iMac. His vision for the personal computer was that it will be at the heart of a new digital way of living. This was referred to as his "digital hub approach." The personal computer was envisioned as a sort of control center that could manage a range of devices, ranging from music players to video cameras, according to the plan. Jobs determined that a portable music player would be the first Apple product to be released as a first step toward achieving his vision. In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, a simplified gadget that merged the now-famous click wheel with a tiny screen and new hard disk technology to provide a seamless experience. Consumers made the iPod so popular that it accounted for half of Apple's profits by 2007. Although critics were dubious that customers would pay $399 for a music player, the iPod proved them wrong.
The next stage was to create a prototype for an Apple mobile phone. Apple launched the first version of the iPhone in 2007, marking the company's 10th anniversary. The iPhone was made feasible by two key technologies: the touch screen, which was capable of processing numerous inputs at the same time, and the Gorilla Glass cover glass, which was very durable and scratch-resistant. Once again, opponents expressed skepticism about Apple's approach, claiming that no one would spend $500 for a mobile phone - and once again, Jobs demonstrated that they were incorrect. iPhone sales accounted for more than half of the total profits produced in the worldwide mobile phone industry at the end of the year 2010. The introduction of the iPad, the company's first tablet computer, was the last stage in Jobs' plan. The iPad was officially introduced by Apple in January 2010. Apple sold more than one million iPads in the first month and more than 15 million in the first nine months of its launch period.
Jobs' ambitious digital hub approach had succeeded in completely changing the consumer technology sector, as shown by the introduction of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad in subsequent years.
Jobs defied all conventional knowledge when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, and he died tragically early the following year.
Jobs discovered that he had cancer in October 2003 while undergoing a regular urological examination. Job's illness was treated similarly to any other design issue, which meant that Jobs disregarded all traditional knowledge and developed his own technique of combating the disease. Unfortunately, this proved to be a fatal mistake. For nine months, he refused to have surgery and instead attempted to heal himself with acupuncture and vegan diets. He was eventually successful. As time went on, the malignant growth increased in size, and Jobs ultimately had to undergo invasive surgery to have it removed. Although the cancer reappeared in 2008, he maintained his rigorous diet of certain fruits and vegetables, which resulted in his losing more than 40 pounds in the process. Jobs was eventually persuaded to have a liver transplant, but his health suffered a severe downturn as a result of the procedure, from which he would never fully recover.
Jobs passed away in 2011. He left a legacy in one of the most valuable technology businesses in the world, which he built over the course of his career. Everything that Jobs accomplished in his life was the result of his tremendous focus, and he expressed his gratitude for his good fortune by saying, "I've had a very fortunate career, a very lucky life." I've done all I possibly can.” Jobs' personality was completely represented in his inventions, since every Apple product was a tightly closed, integrated system of hardware and software, unlike the work of almost any other individual. And while Microsoft's open strategy – allowing its Windows operating system to be licensed – allowed the company to dominate the operating system industry for many years, Jobs's model proved to be more advantageous in the long run because it ensured a seamless, elegant end-to-end user experience from start to finish, according to Jobs.
Jobs was alive to see Apple eventually overtaking Microsoft as the most valuable technological firm in the world, only a few months before he passed away in 2011.
Steve Jobs: A Biography concludes with a summation.
The most important lesson in this book is that Steve Jobs grew up in Silicon Valley at the crossroads of arts and technology, drugs, and nerd culture. A relationship would be formed there that would eventually lead to the founding of Apple as well as a seismic change in the realm of technological innovation. Throughout his life, Jobs was able to change our connection with technology by developing a variety of digital goods that were simple to use and had a clean design. Further reading is recommended: Brad Stone's The Everything Store is a fictionalized account of his life. Even though Amazon is now worth more than a billion dollars, the business had modest beginnings in the garage of founder Jeff Bezos in Seattle, Washington in 1994. From the beginning, Bezos was motivated by the big goal of establishing a "Everything Store," which has now become a virtual reality thanks to the efforts of many others. This book, which focuses equally on the business and its creator, demonstrates how Bezos transformed his idea into a reality.
Buy book - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Written by BrookPad Team based on Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson