“This is one book I tried to delay myself from reading. But it fell on my lap via a balikbayan box from Canada, donations from a distant relative for Antulang's library. And read it I did--immersed myself in it, in fact. First off, I applaud the way the bio was conceptualized, handled and put to ink. Very few writers have the clout, the credibility and the courage to have taken on this challenge, and Walter Isaacson has this in spades. The result is a balanced review of the man and the myth. Because that's what Steve has become, to most people, even non-Apple fans. It turns out he was not a nice man, that Steve. He had a maniacal ego which required CEO after CEO to babysit him and curtail his temper and lack of basic manners. The flip side of the man, however, had this instinctive idiot savant-like talent for honing out products that a) serve a purpose the simplest way possible, and b) are so cool, you tell yourself you actually need them. In short, we get caught in his "reality distortion field."
If I ran a school I would make this recommended reading to both teachers, and students. And I would encourage every student to make a reaction paper based on their understanding of it. For instance, would they have agreed to Apple's booting out Steve in the mid-80s, knowing how successful he would eventually become someday? My response would be a resounding YES. ”
