Steve Jobs agrees to collaborate on authorized biography - report
For the first time ever, Steve Jobs will participate with an author who is writing a biography of the tech titan, according to The New York Times.
While many books have been written about Jobs, none have carried the "authorized" distinction. But the Apple co-founder is now set to participate with author Walter Isaacson, former managing editor of Time magazine.
The book is still in its early planning stages, but Jobs has already invited Isaacson to tour his childhood home. The biography will reportedly span Jobs' entire life.
Isaacson is chief executive and president of the Aspen Institute in Washington. He authored two best-selling biographies: "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life," and "EinStein: His Life and Universe." He declined to comment to the Times.
"Cooperation with Mr. Isaacson could be a sign that Mr. Jobs has emerged from his recent health battles with more of an interest in shaping his legacy," the report said.
Jobs took a leave of absence from Apple in the first half of 2009. He returned to work last summer after undergoing a successful liver transplant.
Jobs has long expressed frustration with journalists and investors intruding into his life, particularly on his health issues, which he regards as private matters. The notoriously secretive Jobs revealed in 2004 that he had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his pancreas.
In 2005, an unauthorized biography of Jobs by author Jeffrey S. Young entitled "iCon Steve jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business" caused Apple to pull all titles published by John Wiley & Sons from the company's stores. The reaction earned the book free publicity, and caused the publisher to double the title's initial press run and race it to stores a few weeks ahead of schedule.
While many books have been written about Jobs, none have carried the "authorized" distinction. But the Apple co-founder is now set to participate with author Walter Isaacson, former managing editor of Time magazine.
The book is still in its early planning stages, but Jobs has already invited Isaacson to tour his childhood home. The biography will reportedly span Jobs' entire life.
Isaacson is chief executive and president of the Aspen Institute in Washington. He authored two best-selling biographies: "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life," and "EinStein: His Life and Universe." He declined to comment to the Times.
"Cooperation with Mr. Isaacson could be a sign that Mr. Jobs has emerged from his recent health battles with more of an interest in shaping his legacy," the report said.
Jobs took a leave of absence from Apple in the first half of 2009. He returned to work last summer after undergoing a successful liver transplant.
Jobs has long expressed frustration with journalists and investors intruding into his life, particularly on his health issues, which he regards as private matters. The notoriously secretive Jobs revealed in 2004 that he had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his pancreas.
In 2005, an unauthorized biography of Jobs by author Jeffrey S. Young entitled "iCon Steve jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business" caused Apple to pull all titles published by John Wiley & Sons from the company's stores. The reaction earned the book free publicity, and caused the publisher to double the title's initial press run and race it to stores a few weeks ahead of schedule.
Comments
"Cooperation with Mr. Isaacson could be a sign that Mr. Jobs has emerged from his recent health battles with more of an interest in shaping his legacy," the report said.
This was my first thought...
"Now i know why Steve Jobs created the iPad...
So that he can read his own biography on it."
Why bother with someone else's biography when he could write an autobiography and say it his own way from his own point of view? Biographies are generally cold and lame.
A professional writer is always needed for giving it a good touch. Even when someone writes an Autobiography, it is always done in collaboration with some writer. They know how to narrate incidences and present the content better.
The celebrity in question just narrates the incidences and the author decides how to write it.
Even iWoz (Steve Wozniak) and My Side (David Beckham) are written in the same way.
Gone are the days when people wrote autobiographies like Mein Kampf while serving prison term.
"Cooperation with Mr. Isaacson could be a sign that Mr. Jobs has emerged from his recent health battles with more of an interest in shaping his legacy," the report said.
Or he isn't getting better and things are not going where he wants them to be...
Why bother with someone else's biography when he could write an autobiography and say it his own way from his own point of view? Biographies are generally cold and lame.
Besides what Chintan100 stated, even if Jobs had the ability the time and effort it would take on his own would affect his CEP duties or require the book take an excessive time to write. Unless he planned to retire his role as CEO and then dedicate his time to writing his autobiography it just better to let someone else do it.
Let me guess, it'll only be available for the iBooks Store
Do you really think that is the case? I'm sure he wants it to be a bestseller and you can't do that with an eBook on one device.
Why bother with someone else's biography when he could write an autobiography and say it his own way from his own point of view? Biographies are generally cold and lame.
Gimme a break. As if he has the time for something like that. Autobiographies are written when the person considers his "job" is done. Steve's not done by a long shot.
He probably CONSENTED to this biography. He at least gets to approve it.
Anybody who would believe iSteve without independently checking the facts is overly credulous.
It leaves open the question of what the motivation is here. Is this the pinnacle or is this about showing that he's got broader interests?
I will actually use money to buy this book.
I'm already using money to get the book. I'm paying my ISP every month.
. . .
if you're reading this FUCK YOU
.
A biography is something you do when you think you're at the pinnacle of what you set out to do, or to promote yourself to a wider audience.
It leaves open the question of what the motivation is here. Is this the pinnacle or is this about showing that he's got broader interests?
Maybe, but if you're as prominent an individual as Steve Jobs, somebody is going to write about you whether you authorize it or not. Better to have some control than none at all. The headline of this story seems deceptive -- this doesn't look to be one of those "as told to" books. The writer wanted to write the book, asked for cooperation from the subject, and got it. Cooperation is not the same thing as "collaboration," not by a long shot.