I feel like time in my car can be used productively, so I
always have an audible book I’m listening to as I drive. I recently finished listening to the book on Steve
Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It took
quite a bit of time over the last few months to complete this audiobook (25+
hours).
I’m still trying to figure out what I learned from the book.
I learned that Jobs was not a very likeable person. At times he often smelled so bad as a young man (a combination of unusual diets and poor hygiene) that he was placed on a late work shift
at HP to avoid other workers. He often
had tantrums that resulted in crying fits when he didn’t get his way. He wasn’t a particularly good dad (especially
to his daughters; the state of California had to require him to acknowledge
paternity to Lisa, his first daughter). He
felt drug use (LSD in particular) was critical in his development as a
successful inventor/entrepreneur. He
took credit for the work of others.
I enjoyed the “behind the scenes” conversations. That was
especially true with his professional rivalry with Microsoft and Bill
Gates. The most fascinating story is about
his summoning Gates to the Apple headquarters when Microsoft introduced Windows;
Gates reminds Jobs that they both used stolen technology developed by Xerox.
I was fascinated by his quirks. Color was so important to him that he
required his machinery in the factory to be painted just the right shade. When the work was completed, the machinery no
longer worked correctly. The painting interfered
with the precision of the equipment in completing the necessary tasks.
Isaacson refers to him as being a genius, but not being very
smart. The story on his diagnosis of
cancer helps to illustrate how he thought he could distort and change reality. With the diagnosis of early-stage pancreatic cancer, it wasn't very smart to delay treatment so special diets could become a cure.
On his deathbed, he talked with the author and he
acknowledged that he knew parts of the book would not be very flattering to
him. He was correct.
I guess what I learned is that this very complicated man was
honest in the end. He shared his
successes and had his shortcomings revealed to the public. Although the book contributed to my not being so fond of Jobs, I think I better understand his ambition
and drive for perfection as an entrepreneur. What truly makes us human is the
flaws in our character.
The time spent with the book was beneficial to me.
