Steve Jobs biography on pace to become Amazon's best seller of 2011

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
After officially going on sale today, Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs may become the top selling book of 2011 for the world's largest online retailer, Amazon.com.



A spokeswoman for Amazon told Reuters on Monday that the book, entitled "Steve Jobs," is already on track to outsell every other book sold by the company. Isaacson's recounting of the life of Jobs is available through Amazon in a hardcover edition, as well as digitally on the Amazon Kindle.



"The way things are trending, it could very likely be our top selling book of the year," Amazon spokeswoman Brittany Turner reportedly said. She declined to say whether the physical version or Kindle edition has been a better seller.



"Steve Jobs" is currently the best selling book on all of Amazon, as well as on its Kindle e-book store. It's also the No. 1 seller on Apple's iBooks for iPad and iPhone.



Its release on Monday comes only weeks after Jobs passed away after a long bout with pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. Jobs's fight against cancer is one of many topics covered in the book, along with his anger over Google Android, and even hints at a future product from Apple in the form of an HDTV.







Isaacson also appeared for a segment on 60 Minutes on CBS on Sunday to discuss his new book. The program included clips from previously unheard interviews with Jobs, conducted by Isaacson as he worked on the biography.



Though Jobs authorized the biography, he did not restrict who Isaacson could talk to for the book, and even waived the right to read it before it was published. "Steve Jobs" is published by Simon & Schuster.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    Yet again, Jeff Bezos makes money off of Steve Jobs.
  • Reply 2 of 26
    Isaacson did a lot of detailed research on his subject. I can see why Steve chose him. This biography has what no other biography of Steve had before: Steve's point of view, which Isaacson includes among others.
  • Reply 3 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    Isaacson did a lot of detailed research on his subject. I can see why Steve chose him. This biography has what no other biography of Steve had before: Steve's point of view, which Isaacson includes among others.



    Similarly, Isaacson has as much detail as Steve Jobs was willing to produce.
  • Reply 4 of 26
    This is an excellent read. I completely forgot that this book was also about Apple because the first 10 percent of the book is all about Steve's life when he was just a child growing up.
  • Reply 5 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bloggerblog View Post


    Similarly, Isaacson has as much detail as Steve Jobs was willing to produce.



    I believe Isaacson was encouraged to talk to anyone ever associated with Steve Jobs (girlfriends, family, friends, enemies, employees, competitors, etc). I would think this would give a well rounded point of view.
  • Reply 6 of 26
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bloggerblog View Post


    Similarly, Isaacson has as much detail as Steve Jobs was willing to produce.



    Cheap shot. After 40 interviews and free access to everybody associated with the man you learn to read between the lines and form your own picture. I am sure SJ was true to himself and spoke his mind freely. There may be other opinions and interpretations of the genius and value of what SJ's did in his life but to question the integrity of this book seems overly cynical at this point.
  • Reply 7 of 26
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member
    There are some details in the book that are clearly wrong.



    For example, the book references the "aluminum" antenna on iPhone 4. The band is made of SS, not Al.



    The book also talks about Steve Jobs doing drugs at the age of 15, and his dad finding marijuana in the back of his son's Fiat. But earlier, Isaacson wrote that Jobs got a two-tone Nash Metropolitan at the age of 15 and only traded up to a Fiat 850 a year later.
  • Reply 8 of 26
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bloggerblog View Post


    Similarly, Isaacson has as much detail as Steve Jobs was willing to produce.



    Don't you mean he had as much detail as Steve Jobs and 100 friends and relatives were willing to produce?
  • Reply 9 of 26
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,755member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stelligent View Post


    The book also talks about Steve Jobs doing drugs at the age of 15, and his dad finding marijuana in the back of his son's Fiat. But earlier, Isaacson wrote that Jobs got a two-tone Nash Metropolitan at the age of 15 and only traded up to a Fiat 850 a year later.



    Maybe he had been doing it for a year or so before his dad found out?
  • Reply 10 of 26
    I might sound overly sentimental, but to me all these news and the bio only further emphasise the fact that Steve is no longer with us, and it's such a shame that a man at 56 at the prime of his mature creative period should pass away. I can't bare reading the biography yet..
  • Reply 11 of 26
    I haven't gotten too far into the book (chapter 1 over lunch) but so far I like it.
  • Reply 12 of 26
    feynmanfeynman Posts: 1,087member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    I might sound overly sentimental, but to me all these news and the bio only further emphasise the fact that Steve is no longer with us, and it's such a shame that a man at 56 at the prime of his mature creative period should pass away. I can't bare reading the biography yet..



    I whole heartily agree. I mean...when you think back all the years when Steve Jobs was back at Apple and all the products he launched and all the anticipation us as Mac users had for "The Next Big Thing" from Apple/Steve Jobs, there was still so much more to come!
  • Reply 13 of 26
    No brainer.



    ? Steve was super famous, tons of people upset at his passing.

    ? Steve super secret, people interested in his "secrets", which the book supposedly "exposes"

    ? Leaks from the book showing up repeatedly in most tech news publications for like the last two weeks now. Free advertising up the wazoo.



    = obvious best seller
  • Reply 14 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bloggerblog View Post


    Similarly, Isaacson has as much detail as Steve Jobs was willing to produce.



    And you would know because you know Steve Jobs and have read Walter Isaacson's book?
  • Reply 15 of 26
    I can't think of another tech leader or sub-presidential politician who would have received this strong of a response.



    This book/eBook is a 600 page epitaph.
  • Reply 16 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    I might sound overly sentimental, but to me all these news and the bio only further emphasise the fact that Steve is no longer with us, and it's such a shame that a man at 56 at the prime of his mature creative period should pass away. I can't bare reading the biography yet..



    I feel you. But for me, it's keeping him alive for a little longer. My intention is to ration out each chapter to make it last. Did the first one today.
  • Reply 17 of 26
    Speaking of keeping him alive, what about his voice? Ebert's At The Movies had a special edition a while back in which they show Roger Ebert using his MacBook to speak his words using his old voice synthesized with the help of Apple. There is no reason that they couldn't re-create Steve's voice. I would love it if Steve were the voice of Siri!



    On the other hand his family might find it pretty creepy. Maybe after some time?
  • Reply 18 of 26
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,386member
    Man, so many amazing quotes and anecdotes by Jobs in this book. Love all the behind the scenes shit. I wish there was a thread where readers could discuss the content.
  • Reply 19 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by auxio View Post


    Maybe he had been doing it for a year or so before his dad found out?



    Could be. In that case, the editor could have helped Isaacson by making that a bit clearer.
  • Reply 20 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    I might sound overly sentimental, but to me all these news and the bio only further emphasise the fact that Steve is no longer with us, and it's such a shame that a man at 56 at the prime of his mature creative period should pass away. I can't bare reading the biography yet..



    It's a shame indeed. But one theme is clear from the book. His health was adversely affected by his whimsical diet.
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