"Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography (Revised Edition)" Reading Notes#
Author: Walter Isaacson
Reading Time: 5 hours
These are the notes and excerpts I recorded while reading "Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography (Revised Edition)" on WeChat Reading.
Introduction#
Those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
Those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
Chapter Two A Strange Pair: The Two Steves#
For him, staring at a transistor is easier than flirting with a girl.
Boys his age were already dating girls and attending various parties, and he found these things more complicated than designing circuits, making him feel even more out of place.
Only hardware people are willing to play this game; software people are too timid.
For him, staring at a transistor is easier than flirting with a girl.
Boys his age were already dating girls and attending various parties, and he found these things more complicated than designing circuits, making him feel even more out of place.
Only hardware people are willing to play this game; software people are too timid.
Chapter Three Liberation: Awakening, Practice...#
Just like all the great religions in which we seek divinity... those ancient goals are metaphors for now—open your heart, question your source, and turn on, tune in, drop out.
It made me clearer about what is important—creating great inventions, not making money. I should do my best to leave something behind in the long river of history and human thought.
Just like all the great religions in which we seek divinity... those ancient goals are metaphors for now—open your heart, question your source, and turn on, tune in, drop out.
It made me clearer about what is important—creating great inventions, not making money. I should do my best to leave something behind in the long river of history and human thought.
Chapter Four Atari and India: Zen and the Art of Game Design#
Transform personal charisma into persuasion, using the power of personality to seduce, coerce, and distort facts.
"The only reason I'm so dazzling is that everyone else is so terrible," Jobs recalled.
If you sit down and quietly observe, you'll realize how restless your mind is. If you want to calm down, it only gets worse, but eventually, it will calm down, and there will be space in your mind to listen to subtler things—this is when your intuition starts to develop, and you see things more clearly and feel the reality of your environment more deeply. Your mind gradually calms down, and your perspective greatly expands. You can see things you couldn't see before. This is a practice you must continually engage in.
I taught him that if you act as if you can do something, it will work. I told him that if you pretend to have everything under control, others will believe you really do.
Transform personal charisma into persuasion, using the power of personality to seduce, coerce, and distort facts.
"The only reason I'm so dazzling is that everyone else is so terrible," Jobs recalled.
If you sit down and quietly observe, you'll realize how restless your mind is. If you want to calm down, it only gets worse, but eventually, it will calm down, and there will be space in your mind to listen to subtler things—this is when your intuition starts to develop, and you see things more clearly and feel the reality of your environment more deeply. Your mind gradually calms down, and your perspective greatly expands. You can see things you couldn't see before. This is a practice you must continually engage in.
I taught him that if you act as if you can do something, it will work. I told him that if you pretend to have everything under control, others will believe you really do.
Chapter Five Apple I: Power On, Boot Up, Connect...#
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
"A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone."
"Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive / But to be young was very heaven!"
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
"A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone."
"Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive / But to be young was very heaven!"
Chapter Six Apple II: The Dawn of a New Era#
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
Chapter Eight Xerox and Lisa: The Graphical User Interface#
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it" and "People who are serious about software should make their own hardware."
"Didn't Picasso say, 'Good artists copy; great artists steal'? We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it" and "People who are serious about software should make their own hardware."
"Didn't Picasso say, 'Good artists copy; great artists steal'? We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."
Chapter Nine Going Public: Fame and Fortune#
"When I was in school, the wave of the 1960s had just passed, and the pragmatic, purpose-driven social atmosphere had not yet taken hold," he said. "Today's kids don't want to think in an idealistic way; they don't even come close to idealism. They naturally won't let any philosophical issues of today take up too much of their time because they are busy studying their business majors." He said his generation was different. "The idealism of the 1960s still influences us; most of the people I know who are around my age have been forever branded by idealism."
"When I was in school, the wave of the 1960s had just passed, and the pragmatic, purpose-driven social atmosphere had not yet taken hold," he said. "Today's kids don't want to think in an idealistic way; they don't even come close to idealism. They naturally won't let any philosophical issues of today take up too much of their time because they are busy studying their business majors." He said his generation was different. "The idealism of the 1960s still influences us; most of the people I know who are around my age have been forever branded by idealism."
Chapter Eleven The Reality Distortion Field: Playing by Your Own Rules#
The thirst for power and the special nature of the "Übermensch."
The spirit now has its own will; the outcast has finally won his world!
"Good enough is good enough; any extra features are waste."
The thirst for power and the special nature of the "Übermensch."
The spirit now has its own will; the outcast has finally won his world!
"Good enough is good enough; any extra features are waste."
Chapter Twelve Design: The Path to Simplicity#
"God is in the details" and "Less is more."
"This principle that Apple adheres to is also highlighted in its first brochure: 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.'"
"God is in the details" and "Less is more."
"This principle that Apple adheres to is also highlighted in its first brochure: 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.'"
Chapter Thirteen Making the Mac: The Process is the Reward#
"It's not done until it ships."
"The journey is the reward."
"It's not done until it ships."
"The journey is the reward."
Chapter Fourteen Sculley Arrives: The Pepsi Challenge#
"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to have the opportunity to change the world?"
"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to have the opportunity to change the world?"
Chapter Fifteen The Launch of the Mac: Leaving a Mark in the Universe#
...the current losers will eventually win / because times are changing.
On the day of the Mac launch, a reporter from Popular Science asked Jobs what kind of market research he had done. Jobs sarcastically replied, "Did Alexander Graham Bell do any market research before he invented the telephone?"
...the current losers will eventually win / because times are changing.
On the day of the Mac launch, a reporter from Popular Science asked Jobs what kind of market research he had done. Jobs sarcastically replied, "Did Alexander Graham Bell do any market research before he invented the telephone?"
Chapter Twenty Mortals: Love is Just That#
At a very young age, Lisa began to realize that his dietary habits reflected a philosophy of life: asceticism and minimalism would make one more perceptive. "He believed that scarcity is abundance, and discipline brings joy," she said. "He knew a truth that most people do not: extremes will reverse."
He drew from a Buddhist teaching: to avoid attachment to material things. He told Egan that our consumer desires are unhealthy and that we should live a non-attachment, non-material life to achieve awakening.
In the summer of 1985, as the sky darkened, we leaned against a smooth stone railing on a bridge in Paris, gazing at the rippling blue water below. Your world was crumbling, stagnant, waiting for you to choose again, to rearrange. I wanted to escape everything I had encountered in the past. I had also tried to persuade you to start a new life with me in Paris, to shed the past and experience a different life. I hoped we could traverse your shattered world, the dark abyss, go incognito, start anew, and live simply. I would make you simple dinners, and we would be together every day, like children playing a wonderful game, without any purpose, just for the joy of the game itself. I wished you would think for a moment before laughing and saying, "What can I do? I've made myself someone no one dares to use." I wished that before the cold future arrived, in this moment of hesitation, we would choose to live simply, peacefully growing old together. On a farm in the south of France, surrounded by children and grandchildren, enjoying family time, life warm and fulfilling, like a freshly baked loaf of bread, our small world filled with the fragrance of patience and intimacy.
She later recalled that loving such a self-centered person was an incredible pain. Caring deeply for someone who seemed incapable of caring for others was a special hell she wished no one to experience.
At a very young age, Lisa began to realize that his dietary habits reflected a philosophy of life: asceticism and minimalism would make one more perceptive. "He believed that scarcity is abundance, and discipline brings joy," she said. "He knew a truth that most people do not: extremes will reverse."
He drew from a Buddhist teaching: to avoid attachment to material things. He told Egan that our consumer desires are unhealthy and that we should live a non-attachment, non-material life to achieve awakening.
In the summer of 1985, as the sky darkened, we leaned against a smooth stone railing on a bridge in Paris, gazing at the rippling blue water below. Your world was crumbling, stagnant, waiting for you to choose again, to rearrange. I wanted to escape everything I had encountered in the past. I had also tried to persuade you to start a new life with me in Paris, to shed the past and experience a different life. I hoped we could traverse your shattered world, the dark abyss, go incognito, start anew, and live simply. I would make you simple dinners, and we would be together every day, like children playing a wonderful game, without any purpose, just for the joy of the game itself. I wished you would think for a moment before laughing and saying, "What can I do? I've made myself someone no one dares to use." I wished that before the cold future arrived, in this moment of hesitation, we would choose to live simply, peacefully growing old together. On a farm in the south of France, surrounded by children and grandchildren, enjoying family time, life warm and fulfilling, like a freshly baked loaf of bread, our small world filled with the fragrance of patience and intimacy.
She later recalled that loving such a self-centered person was an incredible pain. Caring deeply for someone who seemed incapable of caring for others was a special hell she wished no one to experience.
Chapter Twenty-Three The Return: What a Beast, Finally Its Time Has Come#
The return: What a beast, finally its time has come.
The return: What a beast, finally its time has come.
Chapter Twenty-Four Comeback: The Current Losers Will Eventually Win#
Helmut Sonnenfeld once described Henry Kissinger: "He lies not because it serves his interests, but out of nature." Jobs had a natural inclination to mislead people or sometimes feign mystery whenever he felt justified. On the other hand, he could also be brutally honest, stating facts that most of us would gloss over or hide. Lying and telling the truth were just two sides of his Nietzschean attitude toward life. General rules did not apply to him.
Helmut Sonnenfeld once described Henry Kissinger: "He lies not because it serves his interests, but out of nature." Jobs had a natural inclination to mislead people or sometimes feign mystery whenever he felt justified. On the other hand, he could also be brutally honest, stating facts that most of us would gloss over or hide. Lying and telling the truth were just two sides of his Nietzschean attitude toward life. General rules did not apply to him.
Chapter Twenty-Five Uncommon Thoughts: iCEO Jobs#
If you’re not crazy, you’ll perish.
To the crazy ones. They are the square pegs in the round holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
If you’re not crazy, you’ll perish.
To the crazy ones. They are the square pegs in the round holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
Chapter Twenty-Six Design Principles: Jobs and Ive's Studio#
The pursuit of simplicity is not to ignore complexity, but to make the complex simple. "To make something simple, you have to truly understand the underlying challenges and find beautiful solutions," he said. "It takes a lot of effort."
Why do we think simple is good? Because for a tangible product, we like the feeling of controlling them. If there is a pattern in complexity, you can make the product obey you. Simplicity is not just visual; it’s not just about reducing or erasing clutter, but about digging deep into the complexity. To achieve simplicity, you must dig deep enough. For example, if you are trying to avoid using screws in a product, you might end up creating something extremely cumbersome and complex. A better way is to understand the term "simplicity" more profoundly, to understand each part of it and how it is made. You must grasp the essence of the product deeply to determine which unimportant components can be removed.
The pursuit of simplicity is not to ignore complexity, but to make the complex simple. "To make something simple, you have to truly understand the underlying challenges and find beautiful solutions," he said. "It takes a lot of effort."
Why do we think simple is good? Because for a tangible product, we like the feeling of controlling them. If there is a pattern in complexity, you can make the product obey you. Simplicity is not just visual; it’s not just about reducing or erasing clutter, but about digging deep into the complexity. To achieve simplicity, you must dig deep enough. For example, if you are trying to avoid using screws in a product, you might end up creating something extremely cumbersome and complex. A better way is to understand the term "simplicity" more profoundly, to understand each part of it and how it is made. You must grasp the essence of the product deeply to determine which unimportant components can be removed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven iMac: "Hello (Again)"#
Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.
Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.
Chapter Thirty Digital Hub: From iTunes to iPod#
People are stuck in these inherent forms, like a fixed groove in a record, and they can never break free. Of course, some people are born with a strong curiosity, always having a childlike heart, but such people are too rare.
People are stuck in these inherent forms, like a fixed groove in a record, and they can never break free. Of course, some people are born with a strong curiosity, always having a childlike heart, but such people are too rare.
Chapter Thirty-One iTunes Store: "I Am the Pied Piper"#
"If you don’t cannibalize yourself, someone else will."
"If you don’t cannibalize yourself, someone else will."
Chapter Thirty-Two Music Lovers: The Musical Journey of His Life#
"Now I see life, I can see both sides. I see gains and losses, yet still feel confused. What I thought was life then may have been an illusion. Life, I really don’t know.
Sometimes melodies just come, and I’m not intentionally trying to create a piece. That kind of thing will never happen again; I can’t write music like that anymore.
"Now I see life, I can see both sides. I see gains and losses, yet still feel confused. What I thought was life then may have been an illusion. Life, I really don’t know.
Sometimes melodies just come, and I’m not intentionally trying to create a piece. That kind of thing will never happen again; I can’t write music like that anymore.
Chapter Thirty-Five Round One: The Warning of Death#
The body exists for the spirit.
The weight of success is replaced by the lightness of a beginner, no longer so certain about everything.
Remembering that you are going to die is the most important tool I have for making big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment and failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked; there is no reason not to follow your heart.
In ancient Rome, when a victorious general returned, it is said that a servant would stand beside him and repeatedly whisper "memento mori." It means, remember that you will die.
The body exists for the spirit.
The weight of success is replaced by the lightness of a beginner, no longer so certain about everything.
Remembering that you are going to die is the most important tool I have for making big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment and failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked; there is no reason not to follow your heart.
In ancient Rome, when a victorious general returned, it is said that a servant would stand beside him and repeatedly whisper "memento mori." It means, remember that you will die.
Chapter Forty Flying to Space: Clouds, Spaceships, Infinite Universe#
Twenty years ago, we didn’t know each other well. We followed our feelings, and you made me so fascinated that I flew into the sky. When we held our wedding at Avani, it was snowing. Many years have passed, with children, good times, and difficult times, but never a bad time. Our love and respect have stood the test of time and have grown stronger. We have been through so much together, and now we return to where we started twenty years ago—older and wiser—our faces and hearts lined with wrinkles. We now understand many joys, pains, secrets, and miracles of life, and we are still together. I still feel like I’m floating in the sky, my feet never touching the ground.
Twenty years ago, we didn’t know each other well. We followed our feelings, and you made me so fascinated that I flew into the sky. When we held our wedding at Avani, it was snowing. Many years have passed, with children, good times, and difficult times, but never a bad time. Our love and respect have stood the test of time and have grown stronger. We have been through so much together, and now we return to where we started twenty years ago—older and wiser—our faces and hearts lined with wrinkles. We now understand many joys, pains, secrets, and miracles of life, and we are still together. I still feel like I’m floating in the sky, my feet never touching the ground.
Chapter Forty-One Round Three: The Struggle in Twilight#
"I have had a very fortunate career, a very fortunate life," he replied. "I have done everything I can do."
"I have had a very fortunate career, a very fortunate life," he replied. "I have done everything I can do."
Chapter Forty-Two Legacy: An Incredibly Brilliant Innovative Paradise#
His passion, perfectionism, dark side, desires, artistic temperament, cruelty, and need for control all intertwined with his business philosophy and ultimately innovative products.
The astronomer Johannes Kepler once said, "Nature loves simplicity and unity." Steve Jobs said the same.
For Jobs, the idea of integration was about justice. "We do these things not because we are control freaks," he explained, "but because we want to create great products, because we care about users, and because we want to take responsibility for the entire experience, rather than just making the junk that others make." He believed he was serving people, "People are busy doing what they do best, and they want us to do what we do best. Their lives are busy; they have other things to do, rather than think about how to integrate their computers and devices."
Zen practice enhanced his trust in intuition, teaching him how to filter out distractions or unnecessary things, cultivating a minimalist aesthetic in him.
Most people have a regulator between their brain and mouth that adjusts their crude thoughts and irritable impulses. Jobs did not. He valued his brutally honest side. "My responsibility is to tell the truth when things go wrong, not to sugarcoat it," he said. This made him charismatic and inspiring, but it also made him sometimes—technically speaking—a jerk.
Steve Jobs thus became a business leader of our time, and a century later, he will still be remembered. In the pantheon of history, his place is alongside Edison and Ford. In his time, he surpassed everyone, creating highly innovative products that perfectly combined the power of poetry and processors.
He believed that great artists and great engineers are similar; they both have a desire for self-expression.
That is what I have always tried to do—keep moving forward. Otherwise, as Dylan said, if you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying.
What drives me? I feel that most creators want to express gratitude for the achievements of those who came before us. I did not invent the language or mathematics I use. Most of my food is not made by me, and I have never made a piece of clothing. Everything I do relies on other members of humanity and their contributions and achievements. Many of us want to give back to society, to add a little something to the long river of history. We can only express this in ways that most people understand—because we cannot write songs like Bob Dylan or plays like Tom Stoppard. We try to express our deep feelings with the only talents we have, to express our gratitude for all the contributions of those who came before us, to add something to the long river of history. That is what drives me.
His passion, perfectionism, dark side, desires, artistic temperament, cruelty, and need for control all intertwined with his business philosophy and ultimately innovative products.
The astronomer Johannes Kepler once said, "Nature loves simplicity and unity." Steve Jobs said the same.
For Jobs, the idea of integration was about justice. "We do these things not because we are control freaks," he explained, "but because we want to create great products, because we care about users, and because we want to take responsibility for the entire experience, rather than just making the junk that others make." He believed he was serving people, "People are busy doing what they do best, and they want us to do what we do best. Their lives are busy; they have other things to do, rather than think about how to integrate their computers and devices."
Zen practice enhanced his trust in intuition, teaching him how to filter out distractions or unnecessary things, cultivating a minimalist aesthetic in him.
Most people have a regulator between their brain and mouth that adjusts their crude thoughts and irritable impulses. Jobs did not. He valued his brutally honest side. "My responsibility is to tell the truth when things go wrong, not to sugarcoat it," he said. This made him charismatic and inspiring, but it also made him sometimes—technically speaking—a jerk.
Steve Jobs thus became a business leader of our time, and a century later, he will still be remembered. In the pantheon of history, his place is alongside Edison and Ford. In his time, he surpassed everyone, creating highly innovative products that perfectly combined the power of poetry and processors.
He believed that great artists and great engineers are similar; they both have a desire for self-expression.
That is what I have always tried to do—keep moving forward. Otherwise, as Dylan said, if you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying.
What drives me? I feel that most creators want to express gratitude for the achievements of those who came before us. I did not invent the language or mathematics I use. Most of my food is not made by me, and I have never made a piece of clothing. Everything I do relies on other members of humanity and their contributions and achievements. Many of us want to give back to society, to add a little something to the long river of history. We can only express this in ways that most people understand—because we cannot write songs like Bob Dylan or plays like Tom Stoppard. We try to express our deep feelings with the only talents we have, to express our gratitude for all the contributions of those who came before us, to add something to the long river of history. That is what drives me.
Postscript#
In the moment of rage, I can see the hand of the creator, in every trembling leaf, in every grain of sand.
I can see the hand of the creator, in every trembling leaf, in every grain of sand.
In the moment of rage, I can see the hand of the creator, in every trembling leaf, in every grain of sand.
I can see the hand of the creator, in every trembling leaf, in every grain of sand.
This article was automatically generated by the WeRead-xLog synchronization tool.