I decided to choose "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson. I chose this book because I had previously read "Leonardo Divinci" by Isaacson and was incredibly impressed. Isaacson is not only an incredible author/biographer, he is also the former CEO of CNN and a managing editor at Times, and he really lives up to his name.
1. As I mentioned above, Isaacson also wrote "Leonardo Da Vinci". What surprised me most about Steve Jobs is the influence that Da Vinci had on him. Da Vinci said that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". This is ultimately how he came up with the the name "Apple". He was on an apple farm at the time, and Jobs ultimately knew that people like simple, and simple is what sells. It is what gets stuck in our brains. So he picked Apple as the name.
2. Although it may be a little taboo to say this, Steve Jobs was delusional, but it really worked for him. Jobs was able to bend reality so and made it his own. He talked up his product until his product no longer needed to be talked up. He convinced members of the team to work until they no longer could. He was truly a genius.
3. The very beginning of the book confused me, but it was about a confusing subject. Steve Jobs was put up for adoption by his biological parents, because his biological mother's family didn't approve of her relationship with the father. It seemed to me that putting the child into foster care could have been avoided, but it worked out for Jobs in the end.
4. These both might be very corny questions, but I would ask the following:
- Do you believe that all of your professional success has given you a sense of fulfillment?
- What are some tips that you wish you would have gotten when you first began pursuing entrepreneurship?
Steve Jobs is one of the most respected people in our nation. He's gone now, but he was a mind to be admired. I want to know if he believes he made a positive impact and if he has achieved fulfillment because of it.
5. Steve Jobs believed in working until you cannot physically work any more. In America, I don't think enough emphasis is put on being a human first and there is an epidemic of workaholic-ism and we should take more breaks.
Hey Patrick! I almost chose to read Steve Jobs too, but read the Wright Brothers instead. Jobs is still great though. Reading your post made me think of something Professor Pryor brought up in a lecture video that when Steve Job’s “exited” Apple did lose some of the skills and culture that made it special. I think your question about personal fulfillment isn’t corny at all but very raw because people can be extremely wealthy and successful and still feel unhappy and unfulfilled.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a fan of Apple for some reason. Despite the name and the genius behind I don’t think of it a brilliant idea or a break through in technology. Samsung has been producing far more superior products for many years but never had the hype or fanatic fan base of Apple. I believe Steve Jobs was the brains and strength behind Apple as a brand!
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