Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal
Blumenthal, Karen. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different : a Biography. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2012. Print. ISBN-13: 978-125001445. Formats available: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook. Paperback $5.40.
Info 684 Genre: Nonfiction/Biography
Review
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs
This biography runs through all of Steve Jobs’ life, starting with his childhood and ending with his early death. See Jobs as an adopted and difficult child, a willful and quite “hippy-ish” young man, a stubborn and aggressive young businessman, and later as a family man and a more mature (but no less revolutionary or aggressive) mega-businessman. You are also taken along through the history of the computer and other modern technologies, making this a great read for anyone who loves their “tech.”
My thoughts: Jobs starts out as a college dropout, someone with seemingly no plan or vision for his future (and largely unable to commit to any long term plan at all), and we watch as he transforms, through trial and error, into the successful technology visionary we know now. 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!
Themes include: Education, technology, employment, underdog story, overcoming adversity, identity
About the Author: Karen Blumenthal has long worked as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, and she also enjoys writing nonfiction for young people. She is fascinated by social change, how it happens, and why. As a child she spent a lot of time at her local library, and has long loved reading everything from humor, to sport stories, to newspapers. Attending Duke University in Durham, N.C., Karen found her future in the newspaper office when she discovered her love of journalism there.
- Learn more about Karen and her other publications at her website.
- Follow her on twitter @karenblu
- View her profile and her articles for the Wall Street Journal.
Extras
- Locate Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different at your local library though Worldcat.com
- Apple.com has a memorial for Jobs which shows messages of remembrance written by friends, family, and fans.
- You can watch Jobs, the Major Motion Picture, on Amazon Instant Video and Netflix.
Anyone can be the next big thing in the tech-world.
So, here are some sites where you can learn computer programming/coding for free!
- At Codeschool.com you can open a free account, where you have access to their 10 introductory classes. They offer classes on a variety of topics, and the levels vary from beginner on up.
- Code Academy lets you learn how to code interactively online for free. You can start as an absolute beginner and learn HTML, Java, Ruby, Python, PHP. Recommended for age 12 and up.
- Khan Academy is one of the originals, and its totally free. Just sign in and get started with their easy to follow sections and step-by-step video tutorials.
Citation & Credits
Book cover image: Courtesy of Amazon.com
Review: Kelsey Bogan. 2015. All rights reserved.
“Karen Blumenthal.” Karen Blumenthal. Web. 2 July 2015. http://www.karenblumenthal.com
“Remembering Steve.” Apple.com. Web. 2 July 2015. https://www.apple.com/stevejobs/
Stanford. “Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address.” Online video clip. YouTube.com. 7 Mar 2008. Web. 1 July 2015.
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