Novel Review for Nonfiction/Module 8

Novel Review for Nonfiction-Steve Jobs: the man who thought different/ Module 8 Bibliographic Citation: Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve Jobs: the man who thought different. New York: Feiwel and Friends. 310 pages. Summary: Steve Jobs has been called many names, innovator, intense, perfectionist, overbearing, just to name a few. The man who has been credited with many wonderful accolades, and well as criticized for his temper and zealousness when it came to details in his work, will stand among men who have changed our society. Blumenthal shows the reader the extreme highs, as well as the earth-shattering lows experienced by this man who followed his heart, did what he loved, and tried to live each day as though it really mattered. Analysis: The mind of Steve Jobs was always in motion, analyzing details that most of us would dismiss. However, this attention, sometimes described as overbearing, led to many of the devices that we, as a society, depend on and cannot live without. The author does a tremendous job of allowing the reader to understand why Steve Jobs was so consumed with the smallest of details on any project. The world viewed Steve as an innovator credited with the work involved with any of the Apple products, and in reality he was someone who was always looking for a way to improve the functionality of products. Through Blumental’s work, the reasoning behind his character and his flaws can be better understood. The journey of a young man, who was adopted as a baby, is filled with real-life struggles and triumphs. While we see him as the face of the iphone, ipad, and Macintosh products, he was intense, obsessively detailed oriented, and could even be considered mean by former co-workers. Throughout his life, his work was what he considered most important, and his family took second stage. The author gives a clear view of how his relationships were not his priority. The book gives a very descriptive view of his work ethic, his relationships with his children and sibling, although it scarcely touches on the relationship with his life partner, Laurene. Awards: YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award, 2013 finalist American Library Association Children’s Notable List Booklist Editor’s Choice list, 2012 Junior Library Guild Selection Kentucky Bluegrass Award Middle School list Librarian’s Choices, 2012 Texas Lone Star List, 2012-2013