Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal

Steve Jobs has always been an inspiration to me. He started from scratch and turned himself into an iconic image that everyone knows. While reading this autobiography I learned so many ideas that Jobs perfected and his journey on the way to the pinnacle of his life. Most people just discuss what he has accomplished, but what most people don't understand is all of the struggles that was upon him.

His life wasn't easy. To grow up in an adopted family that live from paycheck to paycheck is something to remember. Steve was very bright, but he often turned that into arrogance and mischief during his childhood. It wasn't until a special teacher turned his life around by offering him challenges that he took with pleasure. When college presented itself, Steve seemed to only want to go to one college, and he was very stern about it. With the help of his family, he got to attend Reed College.

Throughout college he was only interested in what he seemed was worth it. He was aggravated that he had to take other classes that he didn't want to do, and it reflected in his grades; however, he did stellar work in the classes that interested him. This work ethic led him and another friend to finally commit themselves into a technological company after years of meddling around with comical gadgets and working part time jobs at Atari and H.P. The technological industry was on the rise, and it was decided that the company was to be named Apple because it would be first alphabetically and give them a keen advantage.

Jobs proved to be a manager that was completely insane. Everything had to be perfect with his products. I still remember one story that Jobs was told by his father, "If you're making a perfect cabinet and you put an improper board at the very back where no one will see it, then it's not a perfect cabinet. You need to have every single detail perfect in order for it to be a perfect cabinet, even if the consumer will never notice this." With this in mind, Jobs made his employees want to rip their hair out everyday with his precise expectations that were rarely ever met, but when the finished products were complete they were works of art.

Apple was a complete success, and just as everything seemed to be going well, Jobs was fired after people were fed up with his insanity when the Macintosh didn't live up to the expectations that Jobs and the consumers had. Jobs sees this moment as one of the best moments in his life because of what happens after. It gives him the opportunity to set up investments in his new company NeXT and Pixar as well as patch up family struggles that affected him before. It made him realize what was really important.

NeXT turned out to be a slumping business and was later sold to Apple after Pixar astounded the world by, with the help of Jobs, creating Toy Story. Jobs then moved back to Apple where he learned not to be as picky and as anxious of a manager and more got done than ever. Jobs was only paid 1 dollar a year because he didn't want the money, only the health benefits. A lot has changed.

As more and more Apple products began to soar, it seemed Jobs was getting weaker. It seemed like a very weary time until he finally past away and the Jobs era was extinct. It will be an era that will never be forgotten.

This book made me realize a lot of very important ideas. First, you need to do what makes you happy. Jobs spent years on trips and doing different things until he finally realized what he wanted to do. Also, you need to make everything you do the best you can do. Why go through life only doing half of what you got? Lastly, you need to think different. Just like one of Apple's mottos "Think Different," this is what every individual needs to possess. Usually the ones that think crazy and want to change the world are the people that ACTUALLY change the world.