Steve Jobs
By Walter Isaacson
Project by Kira Jordan
Book Description
Steve Jobs has left a profound legacy on the world for revolutionizing modern technology. Walter Isaacson created this biography by compiling interviews from Steve Jobs as well as people close to him to create an overview of the life of one of the greatest minds of our time.
The Best Bits
- · Isaacson originally said no to writing this biography, believing Jobs still had many years ahead of him
- · Steve Jobs was adopted by his parents and lived in California for the majority of his young life.
- · In High School, Jobs realized he had a deep appreciation for art and music.
- · Steve Wozinak was Jobs’ partner and he met him in high school. The pair immediately hit it off.
- · One of Steve Jobs’ first inventions was the “Blue Box”, a long distance calling machine.
- · Jobs Dropped out of college after one year.
- · He was known as the “fruit-eating hippie guy who didn’t shower” at first job.
- · Jobs traveled to India to seek spiritual enlightenment.
- · Jobs named the company apple because he had gone to an orchard earlier in the day.
- · The Apple II sold 6 million units.
- · Jobs had his first child with his on and off girlfriend of 5 years, Chrisann.
- · His first daughter’s name is Lisa.
- · Apple centered around graphics from the beginning.
- · In 1980 Steve Jobs was demoted for his erratic behavior.
- · Apple went from being worth $5,309 in 1977 to $1.79 billion three years later.
- · Jobs did not spend much money on material things.
- · Jobs was said to have wanted the inside of the computer to be beautiful, just like the outside.
- · Jobs never forgave Bill Gates for calling Macintosh computers a rip off of Xerox designs.
- · Jobs was fired from Apple and flopped when he tried to begin his own line of computers.
- · He played a crucial role in merging Disney with Pixar, a company that was declining quickly before Steve Jobs stepped in.
- · He married and had four children with Laurene, who he met while speaking at Stanford.
- · Jobs went back to Apple in the mid 1990’s and pulled the company out of the gutter as an “advisor”, not CEO.
- · Later as CEO, Jobs decided, against the wishes of other board members, to open Apple Stores and iTunes.
- · Steve Jobs took it hard when he learned he had cancer in 2003. He was reluctant to get surgery and put it off for too long.
- · The commencement speech he gave to Stanford basically told students to “be fearless in the time that they have”.
- · Jobs admitted that partnering with Bill Gates would have been beneficial.
- · The iphone would have never existed if Motorola hadn’t declined Job’s offer.
- · Jobs’ cancer came back two times.
- · Launched the ipad and ipad 2 with wild success.
- · Steve Jobs passed away October 2011.
Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
What We Can Learn
Steve Jobs is very much an icon, not only for his inventions, but for what he represents. Success is not contained into a small box where only rich, smart, type-A personalities can fit. Jobs was arrogant, stubborn, and a self described hippie. He didn't come from a privileged and rich family. He didn't work well with others. He was fired and demoted several times. However, Steve Jobs was still a brilliant inventor who changed the world. We can learn that it is okay not to be perfect, but it is not okay to be too cautious and never take risks. Advisers and chairmen tried to talk Jobs out of countless ideas that they thought would crash and burn. Jobs was able to prove them wrong by creating possibly one of the most valuable and successful brands of all time.