Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#1

Post by pmattos » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 7:28 PM UTC

Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it
daringfireball.net

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#2

Post by cooldeal » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:04 PM UTC

Any transcript of the podcast available so that people at work can actually read what he's talking about?

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#3

Post by jellicle » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:10 PM UTC

TLDL; Jobs biography not fawning enough for Apple fanboys.

The complaints include that Isaacson used "spike it" in reference to killing a story, without explaining it, and that Isaacson wrote "ATM machine" in the book - which if not originally correct, is clearly in popular use today (see also "PIN number").

Clear, penetrating, insightful grammar criticism from Gruber.

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#4

Post by loboman » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:13 PM UTC

I'm reading and it's good so far, what is everyone complaining about? So far it seems unbiased, instead of the typical heroic novel you get in most other biographies.

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#5

Post by blinkingled » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:15 PM UTC

It sounds like some people were looking for a hagiography. I for one very much liked the biography - the fact that Isaacson made efforts to present all sides of the story is greatly valuable even though it makes the book a bit depressing to read.

I think the other issue is that the book being a bit too factual and multifaceted doesn't go well with the opinionated audience.

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#6

Post by molecularbutter » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:16 PM UTC

The gist of the complaints seem to be that the bio is about Steve Jobs and not more about specific Apple events (maybe they missed the title?) and that Isaacson's editors didn't catch a few typos in their rush to publish soon after the death of Jobs.

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#7

Post by rimantas » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:17 PM UTC

jellicle wrote: post #3

TLDL; Jobs biography not fawning enough for Apple fanboys. The complaints include that Isaacson used "spike it" in reference to killing a story, without explaining it, and that Isaacson wrote "ATM machine" in the book - which if not originally correct, is clearly in popular use today (see also "PIN number"). Clear, penetrating, insightful grammar criticism from Gruber.

  > TLDL; Jobs biography not fawning enough
  > for Apple fanboys.

FYI, that book is anything but fawning.

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#8

Post by MattBearman » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:17 PM UTC

cooldeal wrote: post #2

Any transcript of the podcast available so that people at work can actually read what he's talking about?

Can't find a transcript, but on the podcast (http://5by5.tv/hypercritical/42) the biography talk starts at about 18:00

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#9

Post by Synaesthesia » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:17 PM UTC

cooldeal wrote: post #2

Any transcript of the podcast available so that people at work can actually read what he's talking about?

Siracusa's chief complaint is that Isaacson doesn't have enough insight into the tech world, or technology in general.

The book also just not outstandingly written. The first half is also stuff that's pretty much known from other books or sources, so if you've read a lot about Apple or Steve Jobs, there's nothing really new.

Re: Steve Jobs biography -- Isaacson blew it

#10

Post by benreyes » Tue, Nov 15, 2011, 8:18 PM UTC

I haven't finished listening to the podcast highlighted in this post but a point to note is that the book was rushed into print which may have affected the Isaacson's writing quality.