Steve Jobs: American Genius

Steve Jobs believed he was successful at changing the personal computer, music, and publishing industries because he “saw the intersection of art and science and business,” according to Ziller’s fairly glowing biography. Working from such sources as Apple product launch events, Jobs’s 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, and Walter Isaacson’s biography for adults, Ziller presents Jobs as a charismatic genius whose passion and perseverance sometimes drove him to overbearing behavior. The inspiring and now familiar tale of how Jobs and Steve Wozniak cobbled together Apple Computer in the Jobs family garage is, of course, one of the linchpins, along with anecdotes about Jobs’s lifestyle quirks and background on his strained interpersonal relationships. But Ziller keeps the momentum going as Jobs moves through setbacks and triumphs in his work life at Apple, as well as other companies such as NeXT and Pixar, detailing innovations that are now part of consumers’ everyday lives. A chronology of Jobs’s milestones and a time line of his career appear along with quotes by and about the subject. A bibliography and source notes are included. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)