BOOK REVIEW: iControl Freak

(Published 2011, Hardcover edition 571 pages)

Mr. Isaacson has done a wonderful job about covering the key aspects and events of Steve Jobs' life. However, I don't believe the author realized that his subject matter was more than just one of the 20th Century's greatest businessmen and a grade-A A-hole. Due to our family situation, my wife happened to attend a lecture by Temple Grandin at the same I was completing Mr. Isaacson's biography. Ms. Grandin had no bones about correctly claiming that Mr. Jobs had high-functioning autism also known as Asperger's Syndrome. Because our family is well educated in this area and there are so many aspects of the Apple founder's personality that fit, I'm surprised it didn't become obvious to the author.

The book could be broken down into two parts. The first half focuses more on Steve Jobs' personality and the second half follows his amazing list of accomplishments. Because of Mr. Jobs' success, many people were willing to bend over backward to justify his horrible behavior towards others. He truly revolutionized society in so many ways it is difficult to believe one man did all this. Without a doubt, he will be known a hundred years from now in the same business pantheon as Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. However, there is no way in God's creation I could have worked for such a bombastic jerk. His nasty actions towards others can not be excused despite the fact he was an Aspie. On the other hand, his absolute need to control every part of his life, managing pigheaded engineers who are notorious for being mostly Aspies and his dickish personality were likely the only way such revolutionary products as the personal computer, visual graphics, computer animation, the iPod, iPad, iPhone and iCloud could have come into fruition. Also, his great design sense of simplicity being the ultimate sophistication made technology accessible to all.

Steve Jobs was brilliant, cruel, charismatic, impatient, a talented marketer, manipulative, not very ethical, a perfectionist, obnoxious, an artist and a visionary. His famous "reality distortion field" (a Trekkie label that could apply to most Aspies,) would not have served him well in a leadership position outside of the business field. Despite his skewed adherence to Zen Buddism, Mr. Jobs would have probably been one, seriously nasty dictator. I admire the man's tremendous accomplishments, but as a empathetic human being... yuck. The author has done a commendable job by writing a warts-and-all, entertaining biography. As usual, Mr. Jobs' genius for picking the right people has given the world another wonderful product. Mr. Isaacson's biography meets up to the late SOB's high standards. Enjoy.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #299)