Becoming Steve Jobs
Ratings20
Average rating4.1
15
Ratings20
Average rating4.1
The #1 New York Times bestselling biography of how Steve Jobs became the most visionary CEO in history. Becoming Steve Jobs breaks down the conventional, one-dimensional view of Steve Jobs that he was half-genius, half-jerk from youth, an irascible and selfish leader who slighted friends and family alike. Becoming Steve Jobs answers the central question about the life and career of the Apple cofounder and CEO: How did a young man so reckless and arrogant that he was exiled from the company he founded become the most effective visionary business leader of our time, ultimately transforming the daily life of billions of people? Drawing on incredible and sometimes exclusive access, Schlender and Tetzeli tell a different story of a real human being who wrestled with his failings and learned to maximize his strengths over time. Their rich, compelling narrative is filled with stories never told before from the people who knew Jobs best, including his family, former inner circle executives, and top people at Apple, Pixar and Disney, most notably Tim Cook, Jony Ive, Eddy Cue, Ed Catmull, John Lasseter, Robert Iger and many others. In addition, Schlender knew Jobs personally for 25 years and draws upon his many interviews with him, on and off the record, in writing the book. He and Tetzeli humanize the man and explain, rather than simply describe, his behavior. Along the way, the book provides rich context about the technology revolution we've all lived through, and the ways in which Jobs changed our world. A rich and revealing account, Becoming Steve Jobs shows us how one of the most colorful and compelling figures of our times was able to combine his unchanging, relentless passion with an evolution in management style to create one of the most valuable and beloved companies on the planet.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was far superior to the Isaacson book. It seems like a much more honest accounting of Steve's personality – his flaws and his strengths. Product stories also have much more depth. I understand with much more depth the crescendos that gave us consumer products that revolutionized the world.
As the book concludes with his memorial services, you might find yourself grieving with those who lost a mentor, a friend, a husband, and a dad. And with a world that lost a brilliant innovator too soon.
This book did a great job of documenting Steve Jobs' life and the struggles that made him who he was. As a fan of Apple and NeXT, I knew the public story, but I liked hearing about the people and the struggles behind the scenes that this book was able to portray.
Once I found out there was another biography of Steve Jobs (yet “unauthorized”), I quickly got my hands on an audio copy. “Becoming” is more nuanced in describing Jobs' temper and irate behavior (and its softening over time) than Walter Isaacson's book. A well told story, especially since Jobs' genius and impact on Apple never bores.
This is an excellent biography by a journalist and author who became personal friends with Steve Jobs and had close access to Steve when he was alive and most of the key figures in the history of Apple. Unvarnished and honest but largely sympathetic to his subject, Schlender has richly researched and interviewed Steve Jobs and his inner circle and other industry figures for many years, so he knew Steve Jobs and Apple over most of the period he covers. He writes well and the book is a pleasant read.
