This guide was created using the following version of this novel: Isaacson, Walter. Steve Jobs. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print (First Hardcover Edition, September 2011).

“Steve Jobs” begins where many biographies begin: the early life of the subject. Jobs was born to two graduate students who gave him up for adoption. His biological parents wanted the adopted parents to be college graduates, but after learning about Paul and Clara Jobs, they relented after the couple promised to fund Steve’s college education. It was Paul Jobs who, while Steve was growing up, taught Jobs about craftsmanship and caring about the insides of products. Steve grew up in Silicon Valley, which influenced his later career choice.

When it was time for Jobs to go to college, he chose one of the most expensive choices, Reed College. It was here where Jobs met Steve Wozniak. Jobs eventually dropped out of Reed college, but dropped in on classes that interested him. He went on to work for Atari and go to India for a time. Together with Wozniak, Jobs created Apple Computer and their first computer, the Apple I. Thanks to angel investor Mark Markkula, Apple became a successful company.

The early 1980s was a successful time for Apple and Jobs. The Apple II sold incredibly well. During this time, Jobs began work on the Macintosh while other Apple employees worked on the Lisa computer, which was named after a child that Jobs fathered but initially would not claim responsibility for. The Macintosh launched to great success and was credited with making computers consumer products. However, during the Macintosh development process, Apple and Jobs recruited a new CEO (as they would not let Jobs be the CEO), John Sculley formerly of Pepsi Co. After many clashes with other Apple executives and employees, John Sculley revoked Jobs’ positions and Jobs resigned from the company that he helped found.

However, Jobs did not stay idle for long. He started a new (and also relatively unsuccessful) educational computer company, NeXT, and purchased what would become Pixar from Star Wars creator George Lucas. After Jobs’ management and funding, Pixar eventually made a film deal with Disney and created incredibly successful movies like “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo.” In 1997, Apple, in dire financial straits, purchased Apple and put him on the board. By this point, Jobs also had a wife and children.

While Jobs started as an adviser, he eventually became CEO and revitalized the company by cutting down the company’s products and introducing new ones. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jobs and Jony Ive designed and introduced revolutionary products such as the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As he did not want to have an operation, Jobs attempted to cure it using alternative medicines that he learned from his time in India. These treatments did not help. After a Whipple procedure and, later, a liver transplant, Jobs health was looking up. However, around 2010, his health deteriorated. Jobs died in 2011, very worried about the legacy that he left behind.