I'll admit it, I cried. A lot. When Steve Jobs died last year it was something incredibly painful to come to terms with. Pictures had leaked of an ill Jobs who was on medical leave at the point in time and I simply dismissed them as rumors, nothing legitimate. Many people would probably think I was crazy to be so attached to someone I never met. In fact, people jokingly posted condolences on my Facebook wall. But, in reality, many are attached to honestly less-accomplished individuals such as (ready for it) Justin Bieber.(my head screams at the meer mention of that name) For the greater part of my early teenage years I had looked up to Jobs as an idol of mine, a great innovator and business man. Jobs carried a cult following and to many was an incredibly influential individual. It is hard to imagine a world without the influence of Jobs. Whether it be a Mac(original or current), iPhone, or iPad, nearly every individual owns the device. His influence in the technological realm is simply unparalleled. It is simply fitting to acknowledge how incredible an impact Jobs had on our daily lives. So, for what it is worth; thanks Steve.
Anyway, back to the book. From the onset of the text, I was very interested in seeing how Isaacson would close on Jobs' life. Unlike many other biographies Isaacson had access to Jobs right before his death and was able to pull a great deal of personal intricacies from Jobs' struggle with pancreatic cancer. I was able to draw my personal connections to the timetable at the end of the text. Isaacson used many flashbacks to where Jobs was shown spending a great deal with his family in the closing chapter in his life. I remember when the original iPhone 4 came out and the antennagate controversy which had surrounded it, amidst all of this Jobs was dealing with cancer and wanted to spend time with his family. He miraculously balanced both, going on a trip to Hawaii, returning back for a press conference, and then rejoining the family again in Hawaii. It exposes a more delicate side to Jobs, even at a time which would often be associated with scared expectations of the oncoming death. But I was not at all disappointed with the ending Isaacson provided. Isaacson said, "Biographers are supposed to have the last word. But this is a biography of Steve Jobs. Even though he did not impose his legendary desire for control on this project, I suspect that I would not be conveying the right feel for him-the way he asserted himself in any situation-if I just shuffled him onto history's stage without letting him have some last words."(567) Isaacson concludes the text with the thoughts of how Jobs wanted his legacy to appear. It was poignant and provided more insight in those few pages than a whole chapter in Steve Jobs could provide. In the eyes of death, it is incredible what can come out of an individual, it opens them up completely. It brought the story of Jobs full-circle, from the small garage in the orchard fields of the silicon valley to his incredible prowess with which Jobs left the world, it brings up an aire of nostalgia to hear how Jobs described himself and how he wanted people to remember him. When I concluded this book I realized how much I really knew about Jobs, which isn't much. I followed the general assumptions portrayed by the public. It makes you step back and reevaluate how every celebrity is perceived. Maybe there is truly more to them than the public perception. Steve Jobs provided an incredible and unparalleled window into the life of Jobs. And I would be inclined to read the book again without hesitation.
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