"Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different" by

book cover, courtesy of behance.net

                It would be hard to believe that anyone in the United States hasn't heard of Steve Jobs and the Apple corporation's amazingly successful iMac, iPod, and iPhone products. Fans of these products would know Steve as a visionary, a man who makes miracles happen like a member of the Olympic pantheon. This biography, "Steve Jobs: A Man Who Thought Different" by Karen Blumenthal, builds upon that reputation for innovation but also presents the darker side of Steve Jobs: the demanding taskmaster, the less-than-doting father, and stubborn leader.

                As biographies are often want to do, this one begins at the moment Steve was born and put up for adoption by his mother, who made Steve's adoptive parents promise to send the boy to college after he graduated high school. Steve's childhood of mischief and creativity set an early stage for his dual-natured life of brilliance and stubbornness. It was also during this time that he learned from his adopted father, Paul Jobs, the first of two important lessons he would live his life around: always do everything correctly, because even if nobody else notices something wrong, you will always know.

                Steve's second important life lesson would come in his late-teens/early-20s. As his biological mother requested, Steve Jobs went to college, but only for a single semester when he decided he would rather pursue and study ideas of his own than adhere to a strict class list dictating by the college he went to. Steve began visiting religious orders and experimenting with his diet to try to find enlightenment and, according to some of his friends, a cure to a suspected sense of abandonment Steve felt for his parents. It was during a visit to a Buddhist temple that Steve learned his second lesson: live every day as if it were your last but always plan as if you know tomorrow will come.

                That Steve Jobs managed to become one of the richest and most successful men in the world should serve as an important reminder to everyone, especially teens, that success can be achieved as long as a person has motivation and persistence. While not everyone can be quite that successful, the reader should also keep in mind that while Steve earned a lot of money and was famous, he was widely regarded by his peers as being lousy at personal relationships, including with his family, so keep in mind that how much success you achieve is equal to the price you're willing to pay.

Blumenthal, Karen. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different : A Biography. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2012. Print.