iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iCon! Steve Jobs and his inventions changed the world we live in. His extraordinary life story is brimming with passion, innovation and creative genius. Share his triumphs and failures, as we journey from his birth and his adoption, through the advent of the computer age and on into the digital age. Forced out of the company he created, his indomitable vision allowed him to change the world of computers, movies, music and telecommunications. Prepare to be inspired, by a man who dared to think different...
Industry Reviews
An unsparing yet also very human graphic depiction of Steve Jobs' life. It is no secret that Jobs was a hard case, but Quinn's work displays him in all his tempestuousness: as extreme and antagonistic as he was meticulous and inspired. Tayal's smartly paced, round-edged, clean panels convey the tension and urgency Jobs brought to his projects, his brash and abrasive exterior balanced by thought bubbles that reveal even rawer emotions and a drive that feels combustible. What is particularly effective here is the creation of the Apple world, one in which Jobs would be pivotal, but with other significant players, many of whom get the full-flesh treatment from Quinn, such as uber-geek Steve Wozniak and design whiz Jony Ive, and the business guys Mike Scott and John Sculley. Jobs' family is gradually brought into the fold, as are his fascinations with diet and Zen Buddhism and the unfortunate notion he held that he didn't have to bathe but once a week thanks to his mucusless eating habits. By the end of the story, it is clear where Jobs fit into the Apple picture, with all his imperfections amid the perfectionism. Jobs was a difficult character, but it was his very restlessness, which Quinn plays like a fiddle, that helped change how we live in the world. -- Kirkus Review One of the most interesting and short biographies I have ever read ... an unusual tribute for an unusual icon, and indeed, a befitting one ... The book is a page-turner and both the text and illustrations are handled deftly ... This biography resembled more of fiction than non-fiction and that's what sets it apart from other books in the category. -- Hindustan Times Steve Jobs was the most significant inventor and forward-thinking philosopher to span and brilliantly bridge the gap between the 20th and 21st century's emerging technological and media needs. His legacy and his impact on the world today may never be equaled. His passion, his search for perfection and simplicity (he always had the consumer's sense of convenience in mind), and his search for a futuristic-vision were unique to him and him alone. And even though we know he stands alone, we also know there will most certainly be more inventors and significant thinkers in the realm of communication and technology to come, hopefully from our very own current generation of students. At the end of the day, however, I would bet that whatever our younger generations' innovations and ideas may be they will be traced back to Steve Jobs. For this reason, I strongly believe we should teach today's students about this brilliant, challenging, and dynamic man, a man who was human (just like all of us), who made mistakes (just like we all do), and who succeeded and failed (just like everyone of us has done at one time or another). But, in Steve Jobs' case students can further learn how to persevere no matter what life brings to them. Ousted from the Apple company he originally created, Jobs persevered and worked harder to jump over obstacles that stood in his way. In the end, he even out-jumped himself, persevering over Apple's ousting and coming back as CEO. Steve Jobs was not only the mind behind Apple and its success, but also its heart and soul. Campfire presents a graphic novel biography of this legendary and contemporary man in such detail that teachers, parents, librarians, and students will inevitably feel empowered and inspired to think anew about the capabilities they themselves have in regards to their dreams and inspirations for the future. Keeping legendary and spiritual company with Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Sir Isaac Newton, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers and many more, Steve Jobs' life is an inspirational platform from which we can all learn from and be inspired by. As Jobs said in his June 2005 Stanford University commencement address: "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. -- Diamond Bookshelf Website This cleverly designed volume provides a concise but well-balanced view of Steve Jobs the wunderkind, including his difficult personality and complex genius. Full-color panels provide flat but engaging images of Jobs from infancy to his introduction of the iPad, along with how his adoptive parents, birth parents, spouses and children, boyhood friends, coworkers, and business associates appear in essential physical detail, including postures, but without much facial expression. This design method seems effective here as it emphasizes Jobs' energetic but often misfired enthusiasms, bullying, and self-promotion, as well as his quieter moments of reflection and the effects his ideas had on industry developments. Tayal allows his own cultural perceptions of ethnicities to underscore Jobs' genetic makeup as the happily raised genius looks for his birth parents and learns how to be a better parent and partner himself. With its attention to both the personal and the public, this is an excellent starting place to find a concise overview of a complex man's influences and influence. -- Booklist (the American Library Association's review publication)
