Steve Jobs

First of all, an apology! I haven't been posting about the books I've read. Yes, I'm still reading! But I've moved from my elementary school in Sartell to a high school media specialist/curriculum integration specialist in Park Rapids, Minnesota. It's been a fun move, since I taught in this district for 23 years, but it's been crazy busy!

 Secondly, I'm moving up to longer books! I've read some great ones so I will do my best to post them this weekend and get caught up!

First up: the biography of Steve Jobs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, although I have never been a big fan of biographies. This one did a good job of telling the real facts about Steve Jobs. At least, as far as I could tell they were the facts.

I heard Steve Jobs speak at a conference in Chicago back in 1999 or so. We were thrilled to be seated in the front of the auditorium, filled with about 10,000 conference attendees. The way he was described in the book when he spoke to a crowd was so true. He had us cheering and "oohing and aahing" over the shiny new iMacs he was describing. At the time I think we were looking at the multi-colored iMacs, which were amazing little machines that kept on running.

It was interesting to me to read about his marketing savvy, and his sense of beauty in packaging. Who hasn't opened a new Mac, iPad or iPhone and not been impressed with the simplicity and beauty of the packaging. So reading about that in the book really gave me an appreciation for what a creative genius he really was. It also gave me a new perspective about his personality that I wasn't as aware of; he was a complete jerk to his friends, employees and coworkers, and that had to be so difficult for those he knew.

Overall I loved reading this book. If you enjoy biographies, or if you have an interest in technology or marketing, I think you will enjoy it too!