IRB Post 3: The drastically conflicting character of Steve Jobs

In my previous posts on Steve Jobs, I raved primarily on how Steve Jobs had somewhat of a tiny upbringing and was passionate about what he did.  The "bad side" of Steve hadn't been exposed at this point. In this section, Isaacson strays away from the chronological progression which had been used in Steve Jobs. Instead, he inserts small sections which delve intricately into interesting yet more minor topics. The two most intriguing topics which Isaacson delved into were the relationship between Bill Gates and Jobs, and the section on Jobs' romantic pursuits(which were shrouded in secrecy until this biography). The fantastic attribute of this textbook is the use of interviews which are tangential to the topic itself. Of course, Jobs and Gates were primarily quoted in the section, but so were many engineers from Microsoft and Apple which had looked at the relationship from the outside. This provided a more three dimensional perspective of the relationship between the two which simply could not have been achieved through just the insight of Jobs and Gates. This section showed that there was a much more mutual relationship between Gates and Jobs than would have been expected. They both depended on each other's successes. The relationship section portrayed a much different side of Jobs. Perhaps the most interesting part was seeing the opinions and thoughts from the women who had dated him. This showed Jobs as a romanticist, something very contrasting from the uptight business character Jobs had been developed as during the beginning chapters.
The greatest insights these small subchapters provide, is the fact that they add greater depth to the chronological story as a whole. The small tidbits derived from each subsection carry through the life story of Jobs and can be traced back. Overall, Isaacson is able to provide a full embodiment of Jobs, where you could see everything from Jobs' perspective and the people who affected and worked with him. I began this text was a very strong understanding of the textbook history of Jobs and Apple. But seeing this whole new dimension is incredibly captivating to the reader. Isaacson certainly kept in mind the audience of this book, by appealing to both the Apple history newbies and the buffs. This simply is not a normal chronology of Jobs' life, it is a window into his world with vivid and excruciating detail. I have been intrigued throughout, questioning the public opinion of Jobs. If anyone were to make a comment on Jobs, I sure hope that they at least have read this biography. Experts on science speak about science, but only after they have learned from textbooks. This is essentially the textbook for Steve Jobs, and should be required reading for anybody who intends to speak about him.