Amazon begins pre-orders for authorized Steve Jobs biography

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Online retailer Amazon has begun taking pre-orders for "iSteve: The Book of Jobs," the authorized biography of Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs, with a tentative March 2012 release date.



Publishing house Simon & Schuster formally announced in April that former Time executive Walter Isaacson was working on an authorized biography of Jobs due out in early 2012. Rumors of the book first emerged last February.



Amazon is charging $19.80, or 34 percent off the list price, for the hardcover edition of the book and $14.99 for the Kindle edition with a pre-order price guarantee. The book's release date is currently listed as March 6, 2012. Apple is also offering $14.99 pre-orders for the book on iBooks.



Isaacson has conducted "three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews" with Jobs, as well as "extensive interviews" with family members, colleagues and competitors, the book's description notes, adding that "iSteve is the definitive portrait of the greatest innovator of his generation."



Jobs is among impressive company as a subject for Isaacson, who has written best-selling biographies on Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein. "This is the perfect match of subject and author, and it is certain to be a landmark book about one of the world's greatest innovators," Simon & Schuster publisher Jonathan Karp said in April. "Just as he did with Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, Walter Isaacson is telling a unique story of revolutionary genius."



The book's product page also features a cover image, though the current image is most likely a placeholder.







Jobs has been the subject of numerous biographies in the past, but Isaacson's work is the first to gain approval from the executive, who is guarded about his private life. In 2005, the release of an unauthorized biography entitled "iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business" prompted Apple to remove all titles by the publisher from the company's retail stores. The resulting publicity led to a doubling of the book's initial press run.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,402member
    The title is a bit cheesy upon first glance, but actually, quite a sardonic, and upfront take on the 'cult.'



    I like it.
  • Reply 2 of 29
    It's also available for pre-order in iBooks.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Almost a year of pre-ordering? That sounds insane! Er... Well I'd like to pre-order the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, Sandy Bridge 11" MacBook Air, and the iPad 3, thanks.
  • Reply 4 of 29
    frugalityfrugality Posts: 410member
    The book will never come out. The world ends in 2012 according to the Aztec calendar!
  • Reply 5 of 29
    feynmanfeynman Posts: 1,087member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by frugality View Post


    The book will never come out. The world ends in 2012 according to the Aztec calendar!



    Dude where were you on the rapture on the 21st?
  • Reply 6 of 29
    ghostface147ghostface147 Posts: 1,629member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by frugality View Post


    The book will never come out. The world ends in 2012 according to the Aztec calendar!



    Considering the end date is after the books release, plus it's the Mayan calendar, not the Aztec.



    This is a book I will read, even though I don't like reading at all.
  • Reply 7 of 29
    guch20guch20 Posts: 173member
    Already pre-ordered. Loved Isaacson's biography of Einstein, and I'm sure this will rank right up there with it.
  • Reply 8 of 29
    rabbit_coachrabbit_coach Posts: 1,114member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guch20 View Post


    Already pre-ordered. Loved Isaacson's biography of Einstein, and I'm sure this will rank right up there with it.



    Considering, that Isaacson didn't have so much opportunities to interview B.Franklin or A. Einstein, I expect it to be even more accurate and in depth. Looking forward to the release anyway. But I really hope the iBookstore is available in Switzerland until the release day because it just does'n feel right to read Steves biography in the Kindle App.
  • Reply 9 of 29
    tontontonton Posts: 14,067
    Authorized or not, "The Second Coming" was a fantastic read. I wonder if this will be too biased to be as good.
  • Reply 10 of 29
    bedouinbedouin Posts: 331member
    Why would I preorder an iBook, it's not like they will run out.
  • Reply 11 of 29
    magicjmagicj Posts: 406member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    In 2005, the release of an unauthorized biography entitled "iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business" prompted Apple to remove all titles by the publisher from the company's retail stores. The resulting publicity led to a doubling of the book's initial press run.



  • Reply 12 of 29
    kingkueikingkuei Posts: 137member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bedouin View Post


    Why would I preorder an iBook, it's not like they will run out.



    Lock in the price? Are we perhaps expecting that the pre-order price will increase between now and the actual date?
  • Reply 13 of 29
    gremlingremlin Posts: 64member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    Considering the end date is after the books release, plus it's the Mayan calendar, not the Aztec.



    This is a book I will read, even though I don't like reading at all.



    Just because the calendar ends in 2012 doesn't mean the world is going to end - is it not possible that the Mayan gent responsible for calendar production just though "well, I'm up to 2012, I'm not gunna be around to enjoy it so I think I'll kickback for the rest of my contract"? Personally, my contract runs out in September and I kicked back months ago - I admire the Mayan for getting all the way to 2012!
  • Reply 14 of 29
    pxtpxt Posts: 683member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by KingKuei View Post


    Lock in the price? Are we perhaps expecting that the pre-order price will increase between now and the actual date?



    Jobs above! Is this book going to have its own stock index ?
  • Reply 15 of 29
    banalltvbanalltv Posts: 238member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gremlin View Post


    Just because the calendar ends in 2012 doesn't mean the world is going to end - is it not possible that the Mayan gent responsible for calendar production just though "well, I'm up to 2012, I'm not gunna be around to enjoy it so I think I'll kickback for the rest of my contract"?



    Ha ha! Where Is Your Conspiracy Theory Now? In the end 2012 was a bit optimistic given what happened to the Mayan civilisation, with us Europeans and our superior calendar making skills.



    Is Steve doing his best Dr Evil the best picture for the cover? I'd prefer 'Do I have to do everything around here myself' Steve, or 'Trust Me' 1970s Used Car Salesman Steve, but in the end my favourite would be 'Man, I can't wait 'til it happens' Steve. That could also be 'Man, I can't wait 'til I'm outta here' Steve...



  • Reply 16 of 29
    pxtpxt Posts: 683member
    Good to see an authorised version based on real interviews. It won't be the whole story but it will be a big contribution to it.



    I'll certainly buy it, but not through the iBook store as I can't read and sync across my Apple devices !!!
  • Reply 17 of 29
    pxtpxt Posts: 683member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Banalltv View Post


    Ha ha! In the end 2012 was a bit overly optimistic given what happened to their civilisation, with us Europeans and our superior calendar making skills.



    ...




    We can extend the lifetime of the human race indefinitely by ordering new calendars from iPhoto.



    Now that's what I call a legacy.
  • Reply 18 of 29
    rtm135rtm135 Posts: 310member
    Can I preorder the iTorrent of the iBook of iSteve?
  • Reply 19 of 29
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member
    Jobs is cool. He is accomplished. But in the same company as Einstein and Franklin? Puuleeese!
  • Reply 20 of 29
    kiltedgreenkiltedgreen Posts: 597member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    ... even though I don't like reading at all.



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