Lisa Brennan-Jobs calls her father Steve Jobs the family's "silent propeller"

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
In a rare interview, Lisa Brennan-Jobs shares her thoughts about her father Steve Jobs, and gives a glimpse of what life was like in the late Apple co-founder's household.



During the short interview conducted by Swedish TV station svt1 at the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in early December, Brennan-Jobs refers to her father as "the rock, the glue" of their family and offers an inside perspective on the secretive tech genius.



"It wasn't until really he passed away that we all as kids and my mother realized how much he really had an effect on the family," Brennan-Jobs said. "And while he wasn't involved on a kind of day-to-day basis, when I think of who I am today and who my brothers and sisters are, so much of it is thanks to my father."



Brennan-Jobs explains that because her father worked non-stop throughout her life, whether it be during trips or at home, her mother had to take on the primary responsibility of parenting. She goes on to say, however, that Jobs was in fact a silent force that kept the family together, imbuing his children with a strong work ethic and allowing them to find their own path in life.



"I think that without him here we all feel most discombobulated because of that fact; he was kind of the rock, the glue," she said.



The man who helped create what has become the world's most valuable tech companies was described as having been compassionate and humble, someone who always thought of others before himself.



When asked why she didn't follow Jobs' footsteps and pursue a field in computer science, Brennan-Jobs said that her father was lucky to have found something he truly loved that he could do 24 hours a day. She adds that Jobs dissuaded his children from entering the computer field because he saw that they were more multi-faceted, where Apple was a more "one-dimensional" endeavor for him.



"So he encouraged us to follow our dreams, [and] I had big shoes to fill if I wanted to go into science," Brennan-Jobs quips.



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    Quote:

    "It wasn't until really he passed away that we all as kids and my mother realized how much he really had an effect on the family," Brennan-Jobs said.



    So does Lisa view Powell as her mother by that statement?
  • Reply 2 of 20
    A good man.



    The thing about daughters is, you create a woman who will never fall out of love with you.



    My daughter is entering her 4th year of med school (Got her mother's brains!) and is the best thing I've ever done!



    Warms my heart to read she thinks so highly of her father!
  • Reply 3 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aaarrrgggh View Post


    So does Lisa view Powell as her mother by that statement?



    Does it fill your life with intrigue to speculate on her comment?
  • Reply 4 of 20
    I've been very outspoken to all those who have labeled the man everything he is not--everything the Internet has fabricated.



    Reading his Biography [bad early year history writing from Isaacson aside] I have read so many big egos getting knocked down a peg but what I'm truly disappointed by Isaacson is his lack of knowledge or interest in actually talking to others who worked for Steve who shared the exact same sentiment his formerly estranged daughter Lisa just expressed.



    People truly don't know much about the man and unfortunately they didn't learn that much more in his Biography about the true passions of the man besides superficial references for Dylan, The Beatles, Yo-Yo Ma, Electronics, Industrial Design and the sprinkle of veganism/vegetarianism amongst a sea of product creations.



    To do a Biography for Steve justice it should be more than one volume and by far cover beyond his creations the public experienced.
  • Reply 5 of 20
    aizmovaizmov Posts: 989member
    She is cute.
  • Reply 6 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    I've been very outspoken to all those who have labeled the man everything he is not--everything the Internet has fabricated.



    Reading his Biography [bad early year history writing from Isaacson aside] I have read so many big egos getting knocked down a peg but what I'm truly disappointed by Isaacson is his lack of knowledge or interest in actually talking to others who worked for Steve who shared the exact same sentiment his formerly estranged daughter Lisa just expressed.



    People truly don't know much about the man and unfortunately they didn't learn that much more in his Biography about the true passions of the man besides superficial references for Dylan, The Beatles, Yo-Yo Ma, Electronics, Industrial Design and the sprinkle of veganism/vegetarianism amongst a sea of product creations.



    To do a Biography for Steve justice it should be more than one volume and by far cover beyond his creations the public experienced.



    Very well said. I thought the biography was terrible... Great men, have great faults. But jobs always came across as a man extremely passionate (an understatement) about what he did.



    And I for one appreciate all his efforts!



    If it wasn't for the iPhone, the state of the art mobile device would be a Rim bb, which was like holding a cheeseburger up to ur ear! Ugh!
  • Reply 7 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    If it wasn't for the iPhone, the state of the art mobile device would be a Rim bb, which was like holding a cheeseburger up to ur ear! Ugh!



    I answered a slice of pizza once...
  • Reply 8 of 20
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,282member
    Very interesting interview, more for her tone than for the quotes. The biography makes it sound like she had a consistently stormy relationship with her father, but not only is she saying some very positive things here, she seems so at ease and casually sincere in saying them. In other words, one doesn't get the impression that she's just saying what she thinks she ought to say in light of the circumstances, nor is there an impression that she's working hard to convince people of anything. It just seems very genuine.



    I wonder if we'll ever get to learn about the real steve jobs...
  • Reply 9 of 20
    Guys, this is not Lisa Brennan Jobs. Listen to the interview - she's talking about someone who was a scientist and worked in a lab, not at Apple. Also, given what we know about Brennan Jobs, her talking about how her father interacted with her family doesn't make sense.
  • Reply 10 of 20
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by justinkim View Post


    Guys, this is not Lisa Brennan Jobs. Listen to the interview - she's talking about someone who was a scientist and worked in a lab, not at Apple. Also, given what we know about Brennan Jobs, her talking about how her father interacted with her family doesn't make sense.



    It is likely Claudia Steinman. Not Lisa Brennan-Jobs. Claudia was in Sweden accepting the Nobel Peace prize on behalf of her deceased father Ralph Steinman. The first person to die before actually receiving it.
  • Reply 11 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by justinkim View Post


    Guys, this is not Lisa Brennan Jobs. Listen to the interview - she's talking about someone who was a scientist and worked in a lab, not at Apple. Also, given what we know about Brennan Jobs, her talking about how her father interacted with her family doesn't make sense.



    Something wasn't adding up but I couldn't put my finger on it.



    Thanks for pointing this out.
  • Reply 12 of 20
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    a good man.



    A complicated man is probably a more accurate depiction of him.
  • Reply 13 of 20
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Wow...epic fail.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by justinkim View Post


    Guys, this is not Lisa Brennan Jobs. Listen to the interview - she's talking about someone who was a scientist and worked in a lab, not at Apple. Also, given what we know about Brennan Jobs, her talking about how her father interacted with her family doesn't make sense.



  • Reply 14 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    I've been very outspoken to all those who have labeled the man everything he is not--everything the Internet has fabricated.



    Reading his Biography [bad early year history writing from Isaacson aside] I have read so many big egos getting knocked down a peg but what I'm truly disappointed by Isaacson is his lack of knowledge or interest in actually talking to others who worked for Steve who shared the exact same sentiment his formerly estranged daughter Lisa just expressed.



    People truly don't know much about the man and unfortunately they didn't learn that much more in his Biography about the true passions of the man besides superficial references for Dylan, The Beatles, Yo-Yo Ma, Electronics, Industrial Design and the sprinkle of veganism/vegetarianism amongst a sea of product creations.



    To do a Biography for Steve justice it should be more than one volume and by far cover beyond his creations the public experienced.



    You couldn't be more right. After the biography came it was amazing how much the blogosphere concentrated on how much of a jerk SJ was or how he was so much of control freak, etc.. It's a testament to how poorly the biography was written and off the mark in capturing the essence of SJ. I was listening to an interview on John Lassiter of Pixar, which was done by Charlie Rose, and the man praised SJ to the hilt. And this guy's a mover & shaker in Hollywood.
  • Reply 15 of 20
    There is no reason for Lisa Brennen Jobs to be at the Nobel Prize ceremonies. Nothing hangs together.



    Jobs was not a scientist. She could not follow in her scientist father footsteps, she says.



    This is one helluva screwup!
  • Reply 16 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by waldobushman View Post


    There is no reason for Lisa Brennen Jobs to be at the Nobel Prize ceremonies. Nothing hangs together.



    Jobs was not a scientist. She could not follow in her scientist father footsteps, she says.



    This is one helluva screwup!



    I agree and see below the real link to Lisa Brennan-Jobs picture with her Father.



    http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgur...QEwBg&dur=2697
  • Reply 17 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by waldobushman View Post


    There is no reason for Lisa Brennen Jobs to be at the Nobel Prize ceremonies. Nothing hangs together.



    Jobs was not a scientist. She could not follow in her scientist father footsteps, she says.



    This is one helluva screwup!



    Awesome... Par for the course here.
  • Reply 18 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by justinkim View Post


    Guys, this is not Lisa Brennan Jobs. Listen to the interview - she's talking about someone who was a scientist and worked in a lab, not at Apple. Also, given what we know about Brennan Jobs, her talking about how her father interacted with her family doesn't make sense.





    dont listen to the interview...listen to *her*. That's not a California accent.
  • Reply 19 of 20
    post deleted.
  • Reply 20 of 20
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,322moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by waldobushman View Post


    This is one helluva screwup!



    She's still hot though:







    That's worth a thread just by itself. I wonder if she's been in any of Apple's marketing material. I always wondered if Apple used some of their own family and figured that they'd opt for models instead but if your family practically are models, it makes sense. All those vacation photos Apple includes always seemed just a little too idyllic to be real but then you look at one of their vacation pics:







    They seem like the kind of family you'd want to spend more time with.
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