Sophie Washburne - Steve Jobs: Computer Visionary

Published in 2017 by

Lucent Press, an Imprint of Greenhaven Publishing, LLC

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Copyright 2017 Greenhaven Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning

Gale and Greenhaven Press are registered trademarks used herein under license.

All new materials copyright 2017 Lucent Press, an Imprint of Greenhaven Publishing, LLC.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Designer: Deanna Paternostro

Editor: Jennifer Lombardo

Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Washburne, Sophie.

Title: Steve Jobs: computer visionary / Sophie Washburne.

Description: New York : Lucent Press, 2017. | Series: People in the news | Includes index.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781534560314 (library bound) | ISBN 9781534560321 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Jobs, Steve, 1955-2011--Juvenile literature. | Apple Computer, Inc.--History--Juvenile literature. | Computer engineers--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Businessmen--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC QA76.2.A2 W37 2017 | DDC 338.76100416092--dc23

Printed in the United States of America

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Foreword

W e live in a world where the latest news is always available and where it seems we have unlimited access to the lives of the people in the news. Entire television networks are devoted to news about politics, sports, and entertainment. Social media has allowed people to have an unprecedented level of interaction with celebrities. We have more information at our fingertips than ever before. However, how much do we really know about the people we see on television news programs, social media feeds, and magazine covers?

Despite the constant stream of news, the full stories behind the lives of some of the worlds most newsworthy men and women are often unknown. Who was Taylor Swift before she was a pop music phenomenon? What does LeBron James do when he is not playing basketball? What inspired Elon Musk to dream as big as he does?

This series aims to answer questions such as these about some of the biggest names in pop culture, sports, politics, and technology. While the subjects of this series come from all walks of life and areas of expertise, they share a common magnetism that has made them all captivating figures in the public eye. They have shaped the world in some unique way, andin many casesthey are poised to continue to shape the world for many years to come.

These biographies are not just a collection of basic facts. They tell compelling stories that show how each figure grew to become a powerful public personality. Each book aims to paint a complete, realistic picture of its subjectfrom the challenges they overcame to the controversies they caused. In doing so, each book reinforces the idea that even the most famous faces on the news are real people who are much more complex than we are often shown in brief video clips or sound bites. Readers are also reminded that there is even more to a person than what they present to the world through social media posts, press releases, and interviews. The whole story of a persons life can only be discovered by digging beneath the surface of their public persona, and that is what this series allows readers to do.

The books in this series are filled with enlightening quotes from speeches and interviews given by the subjects, as well as quotes and anecdotes from those who know their story best: family, friends, coaches, and colleagues. All quotes are noted to provide guidance for further research. Detailed lists of additional resources are also included, as are timelines, indexes, and unique photographs. These text features come together to enhance the reading experience and encourage readers to dive deeper into the stories of these influential men and women.

Fame can be fleeting, but the subjects featured in this series have real staying power. They have fundamentally impacted their respective fields and have achieved great success through hard work and true talent. They are men and women defined by their accomplishments, and they are often seen as role models for the next generation. They have left their mark on the world in a major way, and their stories are meant to inspire readers to leave their mark, too.

Introduction

An Influential Man

S teve Jobs was widely known as the co-founder of Apple and CEO of Pixar. He is often described as the inventor of many things, including personal computers, touchscreen devices, and portable MP3 players. In truth, he did not invent these things, but they would not have been brought into the world without his help. He was someone with big ideas and the determination to go after what he wanted. However, the same qualities that made him a success also made him a controversial figure. Less than a month after his death in 2011, a biography simply titled Steve Jobs was published that talked about not just Jobss achievements, but also the way he was often cruel to his employees and family. Forbes magazine stated that people often put up with his behavior because he was more than a jerk ... he was a genius with what seemed like absolute self-confidence and the ability to make his tech dreamsand some of ourscome true.1 The question people need to ask when talking about Steve Jobs is: Does his success justify the way he achieved it?

Steve Jobs achieved many things, but he was often cruel to the people around him in his pursuit of greatness.

An Early Genius

A man with many sides, Jobs has been described as charming, egotistical, brilliant, opinionated, charismatic, stubborn, persuasive, and critical. He was not easy to understand. Many people found him mysterious. However, one thing is clear: Steve Jobs was not an ordinary person. In 1976, at age 21, he co-founded Apple Computer, Inc. in his parents garage. Four years later he was worth more than $200 million. By the time he was 30, he had lost his job at Apple. Down but not out, he started another computer company and bought Pixar, the computer graphics division of a movie studio. Pixar made Jobs a billionaire. However, things were not as rosy at Apple. Without Jobss vision, Apple struggled. On the edge of bankruptcy, the company brought Jobs back in 1997. In a short time, he made Apple more successful than ever.

Jobss life story is indeed extraordinary. Even as a child, he stood out. He was smarter, wilder, and more of a risk taker than his peers. His interests were also different. His passion was electronics, which set him apart. Throughout most of his youth, he did not fit into the various groups that his classmates formed. Unlike many young people who try to change themselves to fit in, Steve did not mind being different. In fact, he reveled in it. Think Different, which became Apples trademark slogan, appropriately described the companys founder, who never shied away from doing just that. Terry Anzur, Steves high school classmate, recalled: He ... [made] a statement in the senior talent contest by putting on a laser light show at a time when most of us had never even heard of lasers. He followed his own path, and that made him kind of an outsider with those who followed the crowd.2