Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A reframing of the biographical narrative of the late Apple visionary, from the perspectives of business journalists Schlender and Tetzeli and the associates of Jobs' they interviewed. Written by two colleagues, one of whom had been close to Jobs as both a subject and friend for a quarter-century, this biography is intended to serve as a corrective to what they see as an overly simplified stereotype, one that they consider perpetuated by Jobs' anointed official biographer, Walter Isaacson: that "Steve was a genius with a flair for design" but "a pompous jerk who disregarded everyone in his pursuit of perfection." The "I" in the narrative reflects the long relationship Schlender had with Jobs, one through which "none of this gibed with my experience of Steve, who always seemed more complex, more human, more sentimental, and even more intelligent than the man I read about elsewhere." Too much of the legend, they write, focuses on the early years and rise of Apple, which fired the man who had founded it because of clashes of vision (and his difficulty with people), and then on his triumphant return to lead Apple to even greater glories with the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and other paradigm-shifting innovations. What's missing, write the authors, is the transformation in the middle, the "wilderness years," when Jobs learned so much from what went wrong between him and Apple. Schlender and Tetzeli draw from many Apple colleagues, present and past, who say they wouldn't have continued to work with a guy who was as big a jerk as Jobs was often portrayed. Yet even this biography depicts a man who could be insensitive, disloyal, and delusional, and the authors' business perspective goes lighter on the personal and family details that might have humanized their subject more, while reinforcing the perspective that Jobs could have blinders on when it came to work. Less truly revelatory and more just a difference in tone and spirit than previous accounts. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The highlights of Jobs's story are well known: the fruitful partnership with Steve Wozniak, the founding of Apple Computers, Jobs's early successes, and his arrogant, irascible, and charismatic personality that won both admiration and loathing. Less well known is how Jobs spent the 12 years between his stints at Apple: founding NeXT Inc.; buying the Graphics Group, which became Pixar Studios; and gaining patience and maturity. Jobs never learned to eradicate his volatile impulses completely, but he did learn to control them better. From John Lasseter and Ed Catmull at Pixar, Jobs learned to listen to others, temper his abrasiveness and tantrums, and better manage people. These skills would be instrumental on his return to Apple, where Jobs formed and led a team that stabilized the company and later launched the consumer mobile tech revolution. George Newbern's deliberate and soothing narration allows the remarkable story to take center stage. -Verdict This considered and balanced effort is recommended for public libraries and business collections.-Cynthia Jensen, Gladys Harrington Lib., Plano, TX © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

There are many books about Steve Jobs, but this title is the first to center primarily on Jobs's evolution as a business leader. Schlender (formerly, Fortune and the Wall Street Journal) and Tetzeli (Fast Company; formerly, Fortune) draw on interviews and conversations that Schlender had with Jobs between 1986 and 2011 as well as numerous interviews with Jobs's contemporaries to effectively support their thesis that Jobs's failures at NeXT and successes at Pixar were growth factors. By the time he returned to Apple in 2001, Jobs had become a contemplative, intuitive leader; he was not the perpetually brash, impulsive, uncaring individual frequently presented in other accounts. The authors contend that Jobs's preoccupation with the aesthetics of product design, though unparalleled in the PC sector, occasionally led to miscalculations, production delays, and the eventual derailment of NeXT. This characteristic is featured in other titles, including the biography by Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs (CH, Apr'12, 49-4500), but the authors here present further insights from Jobs's colleagues and competitors, including Bill Gates. Extensive detail and the unique perspective of this title make it a valuable addition to all business and history of technology collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. --Kyle D. Winward, Central College