Steve Jobs

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Dylan Baker

Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Featuring a new epilogue read by the author.

From the author of the best-selling biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein, this is the exclusive biography of Steve Jobs.

Based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years - as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues - Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the 21st century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.

Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.

Driven by demons, Jobs could drive those around him to fury and despair. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple's hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values.

©2011 Walter Isaacson (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Highly recommended!

Simply love the author and his balanced approach to explain Job's personality in context with his professional success . Jobs seemed to have been a complex person with huge successes, severe personality issues, but still loved by so many around him.

A life so fascinating it seems like fiction

A man's life very worthy of a biography, told in great detail by Mr. Isaacson.

Here's to the crazy ones...

Awesome book about a pretty awesome guy. This is a must, imho. Can't imagine anyone giving this story a bad review.

Perfect, but watch out what you listen to next!

I listened to this one first and loved it (it's addictive), then tried In The Plex but the story of In The Plex just does not measure up. I had a hard time finishing In The Plex.
Steve Jobs' biographer is just an amazing author!
It is a pretty long book, but it is indeed worth it!
The only perfect audiobook I listened to so far.

Amazing Apple every actually made anything!

Would you listen to Steve Jobs again? Why?

This is an incredible behind the scenes story about Steve Jobs and Apple. You will be amazed that Apple exists today and that they produced the quality products everyone wants. Then on the other hand you can understand that is really was Steve Jobs that made Apple great.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is a riveting book and you will want to finish it as quickly as possible. Steve Jobs was an amazing person (even if not totally likeable) and in many ways the world could use more Steve Jobs. The book is very well researched and written.

Think different

Loved every minute of it. I usually listen to the books at a high speed, but with this one I couldn't do that.

Appreciate Steve Jobs more

Where does Steve Jobs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Steve Jobs is actually the first book I have listened to other than the Bible. So, I couldn't give a fair rating.

What did you like best about this story?

Steve Jobs is an intriguing man. I love the honesty of the book. It revealed the good, bad, and the ugly side of him.

What about Dylan Baker’s performance did you like?

Dylan kept changed his voice when someone else was speaking in the book. He made it easy to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Steve Job's quest for perfection. There are leadership qualities I would like to emulate.

Not an Apple Fan, but Steve Jobs is fascinating

What made the experience of listening to Steve Jobs the most enjoyable?

I grew up with an Apple IIe computer at home and computer labs with Apple and Macintosh systems at my elementary and junior high schools. When PC-compatible computers became more popular, I made the switch to PC's that I could build on my own and tinker with. Since then, I've always looked back on my experiences with Apple fondly, but continued to be a die-hard WinTel fan. When I began working, I found myself battling with various friends and co-workers on the OS wars. Apple users were fanatical.

I was given an iPod shuffle a few years ago, and thought it was pretty clever and useful, which got me to start using iTunes. Then in 2011, I made my first-ever purchase of an Apple product...an iPhone. I have to say, I love my iPhone :-).

So, what made this listening experience most enjoyable was knowing my perspective on the products that Steve Jobs was working as I was growing up, and the things that I was experiencing in my life during that time. It was a fond journey, and I found the alternative view most entralling.

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that the

Have you listened to any of Dylan Baker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I do not believe so. The performance was well read and was pleasant to listen to.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I think part of it was already made...Pirates of Silicon Valley.

Any additional comments?

I think I would have struggled through reading the physical book; consuming this book via audible was a great experience.

Genius and Jerk

Would you listen to Steve Jobs again? Why?

This was an interesting read/listen. I never imagined Jobs was such a jerk. It was however very entertaining and brought back memories of the beginning years of the personal compuater and the rivalries between Apple and Microsoft.

If you’ve listened to books by Walter Isaacson before, how does this one compare?

he was alright.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

So many different groups of people had similar reactions to Jobs and they either praised him or demonized him.

Great book

Where does Steve Jobs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Best biography! Very well written.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Steve Jobs of course.

Any additional comments?

I wouldn't imitate Steve Jobs management style. But his vision for the technological future was amazing.