I just finished reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. One of the best books I have read.
Thanks to Steve, author, Steve's family and everyone else who made it possible.
Thanks to Amazon for the Kindle edition. I had ‘picked up’ the e-book as soon as it was available on
Kindle.
Started reading as soon as I had downloaded, then put on hold, being my own my Kindle &
the flexibility thereof! Then saw the physical copy @ a friend’s place. That prompted me to pick it up again and
finish reading.
Few thoughts: ( It is a privilege & honor to pen few thoughts, about the genius)
One of the reasons why Steve wanted to write was for his kids and of course for posterity. Wish more leaders, from all walks of life, had done that.
It is a must read for all – management-student, businessman,
corporate executive, home-maker,
professional, teacher, parent…. Parent, because it subtly shows how early childhood shapes us. Steve was surely affected by the thought he was put up for adoption.
One of Steve's heroes, 'Edwin Land of Polaroid said about the importance of people who could stand at the intersection of humanities & sciences...' - a valuable lesson.
It captures the early life of Steve, his first
innings at Apple, ‘Pepsi to Apple’ from a different perspective, his second
innings at Apple, Pixar/Next etc in between.
Lot of lessons for us how to handle a company,
at various levels
Excellent inputs on how to handle innovation ( plan
to pick up ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’, one of his favourites)
o
‘Don't steal music’ & ‘karma theory’ from
him were very appropriate. Something we should not do, steal music/movies
etc on line or buy pirated books!
o His passion for Zen lifestyle was a great read. One of the photos on the book, sitting on the floor without any furniture, captured the essence of his beliefs. That was something worth emulating when we end up
spending a fortune on our interior decoration of our offices & homes.
A valuable lesson for us is what not to do – may
be in the way we handle our physical
health, emotional quotient…
o
Though he was spiritually inclined from an
earlier age, unfortunately he did not progress on that front. He made a choice
to build Apple and make an impact (thankfully we have Apple proucts). But, I
feel, on his soujourn he was surely not spiritually blissful.
Lasting influence of his trip to India - returning to US was a cultural shock.
o
I was pleasantly surprised to read his favourite
book was ‘An Autobiography of a Yogi’
by Sri Paramahamsa Yogananda and read it every year! (one of my all
time favourite books and the only book I have read more that once)
He loved organic fruits & vegetables - once again, worth-emulating.
Reading the last chapter, my eyes were moist on
more than one occasion.
Author has very well chronicled the evolution of
the innovator of the century and
also the man himself, at the personal level.
I made extensive notes on Kindle ( easy &
simple & clean to underline!). Hope to go back and read them, whenever I
feel like.
The book should be made mandatory at all
management schools.
BE Inspired!!
