Steve Jobs The Man Who Thought Different

Blumenthal, Karen. STEVE JOBS THE MAN WHO THOUGHT DIFFERENT. 2012. New York: Feiwel And Friends Book. ISBN 9781250015570

Plot Summary:

Steve Jobs was part creator of the greatest technology piece that would go on to be a big-time, top-selling brand. Not only was he smart and brilliant but Steve was a guy who did things on his terms. He was a hard-worker, charmer, deep-thinker, and an inventor.  This is his life story: how he got his start and would go on to revamp and change a floundering computer company that would make him rich and known as a tech genius worldwide. Jobs would also give the people a love for animation that was realistic looking thanks to technology. It is a story about a man who wasn't perfect and experienced his share of troubles. A tech genius, driven, hardworking, family man, and well-respected by many in the tech industry as well as outside of it: meet Steve Jobs.

Critical Analysis:

Karen Blumenthal does a great job in writing about the life of Steve Jobs. The font size which is used to tell this story about a man who was complex, smart, at times unnerving, but was loved, respected, and disliked by some; makes this biography an easy read for teens.  Ms. Blumenthal weaves facts from many sources and tells a story that allows the reader to understand how and why Apple is a mainstay and giant in the world of technology. For many readers, what they will delight in learning as they read about Steve Jobs is how he is responsible for giving them Pixar, the animation company that has produced great kid movies like The Incredibles, Monster's Inc., and Toy Story, just to name a few. While, Ms. Blumenthal does give us some pictures, she is careful about not making this biography a photo album.  She chooses pictures that are meant highlight and/or supplement the chapters. It is her use of words and keen detail that make reading about the life of Steve Jobs interesting.  Ms. Blumenthal also includes a glossary so the reader can know and understand the technology jargon that was a part of Mr. Jobs life. It was interesting to read and one that I would recommend to teens who are interested in learning about the man who gave Apple a new life.

Review Excerpt(s):

"The vivid retelling of Job’s hurdles and triumphs will inspire you to never stop aiming for what you want to become. Everyone loves the underdog story and here we see how great things can come from even the humblest and most unlikely of beginnings. After all, Apple was started by two college dropouts in a parent’s garage. A great addition to any library, in either the adult and/or young adult sections!" (Bogan, Kelsey. 1 July, 2015. https://dontyoushushme.com/2015/07/01/steve-jobs-the-man-who-thought-different-2012/. Accessed November 30, 2022)

Publishers Weekly-"Framing her work around the themes of a lauded commencement speech that “technology rock star” Jobs delivered to Stanford University’s class of 2005, Blumenthal crafts an insightful, balanced portrait of the enigmatic man whose life was cut short by illness in 2011. The book chronicles Jobs’s boyhood passions for technology, simplicity, and design that led to his rocky tenures with the technology company he helped create, was fired from, and returned to and led to the heights of its success. Readers receive a primer in technological advances, including the mathematics of animation, as well as Jobs’s vision for product design and marketing innovation. Blumenthal relates accounts of Jobs’s eccentric hygiene and eating habits, his infamous tantrums and tirades in the workplace, and his harsh treatment of colleagues, loved ones, and friends. However, his charisma often won the day, and commentary from Jobs and his wife, given near the end of his life, help soften the picture. "

Connections:

Locate old Apple advertisements and project them or print them for students to examine and make observations about what Steve Jobs did to create the products.

Make copies of the commencement speech Steve Jobs gave in 2005, at Stanford University. Have students jot down notes about what Mr. Jobs was telling the graduates. Then play the video for students to watch and listen to the words they have read. Lead and facilitate a discussion about Mr. Jobs success and what his message was to the young college graduates. https://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Have students pair up or get into groups and create a timeline of the first Apple product to what is currently sold and used by consumers.

Talk about the economics of Apple and what Jobs vision was for the company. Discuss the impact that Apple products have had on people around the world.

The words written in this review are my own. They are written for the a graduate studies class at Sam Houston State University.