Steve Jobs
by Walter Isaacson
★ Top 5 book of 2011 · #4 on Best Books of 2011
Drawing on more than forty interviews with Jobs himself and over a hundred others, Isaacson portrays a perfectionist whose fierce drive reshaped six industries. Jobs gave no control over the text, so friends and rivals speak frankly about him.
Best for: Readers curious about innovation, creative leadership, and an intense, controlling personality
Steve Jobs is #4 on BookWard's Best Books of 2011, out of 53 2011 books that cleared our data bar.
What Steve Jobs is about
Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs rests on more than forty interviews with Jobs himself, held over two years, plus conversations with over a hundred relatives, friends, rivals, competitors and colleagues. Jobs agreed to take part but asked for no say over the contents and did not request a look at the manuscript. He also urged the people around him to speak frankly, and nothing was closed off.
The result is a portrait of an intense, perfectionist man whose life swung between highs and lows. His drive reshaped six industries: personal computers, animated films, music, phones, tablets and digital publishing. Isaacson also makes a wider argument, that in the twenty-first century the real value lies in joining creativity to technology. It is a good fit for readers interested in business, design or leadership, and for anyone who wants to understand the person behind the products.
Steve Jobs on the Best Books of 2011
Steve Jobs came out in 2011. Of the 53 books first published in 2011 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #4 on our Best Books of 2011 list.
Why it made the list: 2,177 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (174 ratings); 130 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Being read right now.
Nearby on the 2011 list
- The Song of Achilles Madeline Miller, #2
- Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman, #3
- The Son of Neptune Rick Riordan, #5
- The Mark of Athena Rick Riordan, #6
See all Best Books of 2011 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2010 Best Books of 2012.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 1,830 want to read it, 130 are reading it now and 216 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 from 174 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 91 | 55% |
| Reader love | 74 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 91 | 20% |
Questions about Steve Jobs
When was Steve Jobs published?
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson was first published in 2011.
Was Steve Jobs one of the best books of 2011?
Steve Jobs is #4 on BookWard's Best Books of 2011, out of 53 2011 books that cleared our data bar. 2,177 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (174 ratings); 130 are reading it right now.
Why is Steve Jobs on the Best Books of 2011 list?
2,177 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (174 ratings); 130 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2011
- Sapiens Yuval Noah Harari, #1
- The Song of Achilles Madeline Miller, #2
- Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman, #3
- The Son of Neptune Rick Riordan, #5
- The Mark of Athena Rick Riordan, #6
- Shatter Me Tahereh Mafi, #7
See the full Best Books of 2011, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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