Review
…”the writing is savvy and lively…even readers with a scant interest in computers, technology or animated movies will find the tale entertaining…” (”www.getabstract.com, 29 Aug. 2005) …”a story of the personalities behind the facts and figures…includes some interesting personal touches…” (”Liverpool Daily Post, 22nd June 2005) ” … rich in anecdotes and retellings of turning points in the lives of Jobs, Apple and Pixar… ” (”Information Age, 1st August 2005) …”the authors paint a vivid picture of Jobs as an occasional genius and a regular jerk. All of which makes for gripping reading for any Mac fan…” (”icreate, July-December 2005) ” … Young and Simon are particularly good at telling the inside st (more…)
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve long been intrigued by the Steve Jobs story as well as the early days of company-building and conflict between he and Bill Gates. This book is a real page-turner as it explores the connection between the technology, consumer-focused brand building and the psyche of the man behind it all. Jobs is a fascinating character and the author’s representation of his story is better than fiction.
Another new book I enjoyed recently which has fun analysis of public figures is “The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book.” This one also has a cool online application that lets you test your emotional intelligence and learn about it via clips from movies. Fun stuff.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I could not put this down
This is an amazing book about a truly amazing man. Like him or not…this man changed the way we use computers, listen to music, watch TV, etc….
2.0 out of 5 stars
Mediocre, inaccurate
This is a decent read; uninspired, but you will get some info out of it. What I found disappointing was the book is full of technical errors about Apple computers, computers in…
3.0 out of 5 stars
For people who likes to get a deep understanding of the present time
It’s not a matter of style , or ability to build a plot. S.Younger tell us the life of S.Jobs going behind the scene. Steve is a genius but of course he gets donwfaults too.
I agree wholeheartedly with the reviewer who observed that this book reads like a tabloid. Many passages read like copy that has been lifted from a script for some cheesy “Entertainment Tonight” type show.
Poorly written and poorly organized. Jumps back and forth through time for no apparent reason and there are many redundant sentences throughout.
Did the author or publisher neglect to have an editor take a look at this?
People in the know will be disappointed to find that much of iCon is recycled information. Speaking of that, a writer for the SF Chronicle noted that much of his research seems to have made an appearance in iCon. He stopped short of calling it plagiarism, but it does make me wonder about the “research” that went into this project.
I have no ties to Apple Computer or Steve Jobs and I am writing this review as objectively as I can. This book stinks! And that’s unfortunate because I had hoped for a definitive unauthorized biography of Jobs when I picked up a copy of iCon, but this isn’t it. Not by a long shot.
I’d recommend Owen Linzmayer’s “Apple Confidential 2.0″ over this book even though it is not a biography but more of a history of Apple.
As a former employee of Apple, Disney and Lucasfilm ILM and a lover of Apple’s industrial design, I found this book a fascinating read. In fact, once I started it, I had trouble putting it down!
There are a few factual errors that surprised me. Example- about a third of the way into the book, it is incorrectly stated that Ridley Scott directed the movie “Aliens”. Strange because later on in the book the authors correctly state that James Cameron was the director. Ridley Scott directed the first movie, “Alien”.
The book also talks about Pixar being located in Emeryville California around the time Toy Story came out. In fact, Pixar was in Point Richmond and moved to Emeryville years later. Pointing out these errors might seem like nitpicking but since these errors are fairly simple to check on, it leads me to believe that there might be other factual errors throughout the book as well. In other words, you probably shouldn’t believe everything you read in this book.
That said, I still found this book a great read. If you are interested in business, technology and animation or want to gleen a window into the way Steve Jobs’ mind operates, you should read this book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Apple and Steve Jobs
The best book I have read on Apple and Steve Jobs. It gives you an insight into Jobs and his extraordinary ability to enthuse his associates.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business
Steve Jobs is the greatest second act in the history of business. He rose from an outcast high school electronic nerd to become the driving force behind Apple and Avatar of the…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read for Anyone
This book is excellent. You learn about the [personal] life of Steve Jobs, and the history of Apple [and Pixar]. He IS the history of this revolutionary company.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Steve Jobs truly is an icon!
I became a huge fan of Apple after purchasing a Powerbook in 2005. Unknowingly I became a disciple of Steve Jobs in doing so, and have become increasingly loyal to the brand as…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly Good and Intriguing
This is certainly the most positive and best book I’ve read about Steve Jobs - in particular with some other biographies being rather scathing.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptionally detailed account of all of Job’s successes and failures
Young and Simon provide an in depth and seemingly unbiased thrashing and congratulatory depiction of what Steve Jobs has accomplished.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Waste of Time
This is a poorly written book. It is biassed toward Steve Jobs and tries to be sensational by exaggerating some events. There are sentences, which are very unfair to Mr.