Steve Jobs

I'm a little less than a third of the way through and find the book quite interesting. It seems to be a fair portrait of Jobs, blemishes and all. I'm writing this before finishing, though, in defense of the narrator, who seems to be taking quite a few hits on this page for, apparently, not sounding enough like Steve Jobs.

Here's my take: The narrator is just fine, and does a clean, professional job, comparable to what you get in many of the best biographies. I've heard "terrible" narrators; this fellow is not one. His reading is nothing that would normally raise complaints. He does not do a Steve Jobs impersonation, which is exactly the way I, personally, would like him to approach it. But Jobs was such a public personality, with a nearly cult-like following, that some listeners seem to be taking their obsession with Jobs out on the narrator because he is not Jobs. I don't think that is reasonable.

So, I'm enjoying the book. I hope you will as well.

If you've ever wondered what Steve Jobs was really like, this book is for you. Isaacson's holds nothing back in describing both the genius and the jerk that was Steve Jobs. Overall, despite the brutal honesty regarding Jobs' MANY quirks, I think the book was favorable to Jobs. I came out of it admiring him as a visionary, but also thankful that I never had to work for him.

Steve Jobs is our generation's Walt Disney: a brilliant innovator who beautifully blended art and technology while building some of the most enduring and iconic companies in human history. Other parallels to Disney: they both had complete control over their companies' direction; they were both highly visible spokesmen (even icons) for both the company and the brand; they both left behind a changed world (Disney with animation and theme parks, Jobs with the iPod/iPad/iPhone/Pixar); they were both astute businessmen in addition to being visionaries; both were pioneers in revolutionizing animation in feature films; and of course, sadly, both died too young of cancer. I've also enjoyed Disney biographies, particularly the ones, like this bio, which took an honest look at the flaws as well as the genius.

I am not a huge Apple fan but I loved this book, and I love Steve Jobs; not because of who he was but for what he did. His greatest achievements -- iPod, iPad, iPhone, and Pixar -- were all revolutionary inventions, literally creating something new out of nothing. What would be the state of portable consumer devices today without Jobs? Would we still be using clunky flip phones with atrocious software? Would we have elegant graphical interfaces on our computers or devices?

And what about family films? Would we be taking our kids to see abysmal Disney movies like Treasure Planet, rather than beautiful, inspired, emotional epics like the Toy Story trilogy and Finding Nemo?

Even for those of us who aren't "Apple people" can thank Jobs' vision for pushing our culture in the direction of beauty and quality.

This book highlights Jobs' vital role in all these revolutions. Particularly compelling are how Jobs was able to conquer both the music studios AND Eisner-led Disney in the span of a few short years. The details of those conquests are priceless, and this audiobook is worth it for those two tales alone. I also liked the details of his relationship to Bill Gates, and how it evolved through the years (hint: it was not as contentious as I'd always believed).

But there is also much more. I found myself thinking "what a jerk" one second, and "what a genious" the next -- and then quickly back to "what a jerk" again. He is a study in extremes. I came into this book not knowing WHAT I'd think of Jobs in the end given some of the shocking excerpts in the press. I thought it was a good possibility that I'd hate the guy. But Isaacson effectively shows the humanity behind the insanity, and by the end, I can honestly say I genuinely liked him. I was even a little choked up by his cancer plight. It's so sad that the pre-eminent visionary of our time was taken from us in his prime -- not unlike Walt Disney was taken from us almost 50 years ago.

So I guess in the end, Steve's impeccable taste served him well. In choosing Isaacson and giving him open access to his past, Jobs succeeded in putting out one last perfect product: a lasting image of himself that perfectly demonstrated his humanity, his deep flaws, and his enduring genius. I think he would have loved the result, and I did too.

Dylan Baker's narration is excellent. Baker has a little sarcastic twang that I think is perfect for this man, and for this material. Wise choice.

A brave and very candid look at an icon that has changed our world probably even more than we can yet grasp (think of the images of international political upheavals, mistreatments, the disasters in Japan...). I don't think superior intellect or ability excuses bad or unkind behavior of any kind, and his absolute forthrightness regarding these improprieties made this all the more fascinating to listen to. There's a lot of mischief and down right mean behaviors revealed about Jobs' personal and professional road to legendom. Years ago I went to a conference that focused on the psychology of a possible connection between some great thinkers (inventors, artists, etc.) and insanity, what we might label "mad geniuses"; I don't know if Mr. Jobs was in this category, but he definitely was a genius that often behaved erractically in his imposing journey that has left a monumental impact on the world. Extremely well researched; performance passable for a non-teckie, but if you listen, you'll have no doubt what Mr. Jobs would have thought about the performance!

Steve Jobs life was interesting from day one. The book is well written and well read. I did not want the book to end. I did not want Steve Jobs' life to end. He was a unique individual with a passion for perfection. The book was well worth twenty five hours of my life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and, as I cannot improve on the many positive comments, I write in defense of the narrator. As a longtime Audible subscriber, I've listened to many of the best (and some of the worst) narrators in the Audible world. Frankly, I find some of the negative comments for this book's narration to be over the top and a few are downright mean spirited. That said, all are entitled to their own opinion. I found the narrator to be well-paced with a clear, pleasant voice and nice inflection, Do not be put off. This is a great book about a true visionary in our own time. Narrator, Dylan Baker, does a fine job with this much anticipated Audible release. Enjoy!

This was a interesting bio. Dylan Baker did good job narrating. I was particularly interested in the part about Pixar. I noted that book Jobs and his sister were very smart and had creative talent even though they were raised by different people. Fascinating to read about some one who lived in the same area and time as one self. You will not be disappointed in this book.

Steve Jobs Unabridged by Walter Isaacon is very well written. I thought the narrator Dylan Baker was above average despite some of the poor reviews I read on him. I am a tech- enthusiast and theologian. Steve Job's was a complex man and Isaacson captured his very essence in this book. Having read (listened) to his so close after the passing of Job’s his book takes Steve off the high devine pedestal that we put people shortly after they have past and brings us smack back into the humanity of Jobs.
What I loved most about this book is how Issacson not only displayed Job's journey in developing business & technology but also in his spirituality & personal relationship and how each part of the journey intertwined with all aspects of his life. What I thought would be a dry tech book turned out to be both a very inspirational book about the advancement of humanity and leaves the reader to self-reflection about one’s own identity and personal growth. Jobs’ innovations and legacy will live on for many generations to come. This is a must read.

I love Apple so by default I love Jobs. I say this as a disclaimer but also because after reading this book it is my honest opinion that Steve Jobs was probably insane but that makes him no different that most people of amazing genius. You will find in this book a great bio of a man you will find complex and strange and after finishing you will respect him, but I am not sure if you like him or even want him in your life, just his products.

Steve Jobs is such a complex individual that it's amazing what a good job Isaacson was able to do. I found that the book, though long, is so compelling and intricately woven that it kept me turning the pages most of the night for three nights in a row! At first, I was a bit put off by the reader, but as the book moved on, I was glad for his performance. Steve Jobs is not just a book about a world class "asshole" or creative genius. Nor is it simply about tech developments and the growth of Silicone Valley or the insanely great products Jobs and Apple created. It is also an accurate reflection of my own life writ large. All of Steve's strivings for excellence, his almost naive romanticism and his spiritual questing I shared coming of age here in Northern California. My husband shared them, too. This may be one reason I found the book so exceptional. I am eager now to read Isaacson's other bios. I find him almost as amazing as his fascinating subject!

I am amazed at how good this biography actually is! Steve Jobs was a brilliant man with a sometimes appalling personality. I now understand why he was fired from Apple-- I would have voted to let him go as well-why his car had no license plate, why the mac computer is so great and why only he could have created iPad and iPhone.Well done Walter Isaacson! And the reader is perfect too.