Giacomo's blog

I have been an admirer of Steve Jobs since the early 80s. I did some work for Apple when they were ramping up production for the original Macintosh, and, though I never interacted with Jobs, his "personality" was infused in everyone you dealt with. It was a great experience and one I will never forget. So, when the book came out, I was curious to learn more about the man behind the myth. And learn I did.

Some of what I learned I didn't like. Jobs was not always the "image" I had in my mind. This shouldn't have surprised me, being a writer, but it did to some extent. I thought Isaacson did a great job of portraying both the good and the bad about jobs without being judgmental. At times I cringed when reading some of the examples of how he treated people who worked for him, but within a few more pages, I laughed, or sat back in amazement at his creativity and inspiration.

Isaacson had a great subject to write about, but it took a lot of skill to portray it so that readers got the complete picture of the man behind the curtain. I came away from reading this both saddened and exhilarated, but in the end I was very glad I read it. If you have any curiosity about Steve Jobs, the man, or about Apple and how the company was built, including the turmoil it went through, this is a must read.