Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blumenthal, K. (2012). Steve Jobs: The man who thought different. MO: San Val.

  ISBN 9781613835661

2. PLOT SUMMARY

A story of an orphaned boy, Steve Jobs,  who changed the world of technology and built some of the most popular technology tools today.  

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is an easy and engaging read of Steve Jobs’ life.  It is divided into three sections. These three sections encompass his advice in his speech to the graduating class of Stanford University.  The author does an excellent job of weaving in Jobs’ advice with the story of his life.  The first section focuses on his early life up until dropping out of college and working out of his parent’s garage. This section’s focus to the Stanford class had to deal with connecting the dots.  These dots are what led Steve to being an iconic figure in technology today. The second part focuses on his advice of love and loss.  Steve’s first love was his Apple company, but he was essentially fired from it.  His love never ended and he always thought about it.  This love eventually led him back to the company.  The third part naturally ends with the loss of his life, and the legacy that he left the world today.  

The author paints a fair picture of who Steve Jobs is, the good and the ugly parts of him.  We see how dedicated he was at work, but on the other hand, we can see how aggressive he was to the people who worked for him.  One of the best quotes about him compared him to a Macintosh computer, “Each was brilliant--and also flawed.”  

Many important life lessons are expressed in this story.  Many are gained from his speech to the Stanford students.  He told them, “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”  Jobs faced many challenges and failures throughout his life, but he persevered.  He shows the reader that success is not easy, but it can be done if you work hard at it.  He leaves the Stanford students with the saying, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” which is exactly how Jobs led his life.  

In the author’s note and bibliography, it is evident how much work the author had to do in order to write this book and get a good understanding of Steve Jobs’ life.  She interviewed his friends from high school and Pixar retirees.  She reviewed countless books, articles, and cover stories to get a good feel for who Jobs was.  She uses countless photos throughout this novel and gives photo credits at the end.  The author’s time and dedication pays off in this well-written biography that will not disappoint.  

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2012 Booklist Editor’s Choice: Books for Youth

2013 Notable Children’s Book

YALSA NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS AWARD FINALIST

Booklist, STARRED REVIEW: "This is a smart book about a smart subject by a smart writer."

The Horn Book: "..an engaging and intimate portrait. Few biographies for young readers feel as relevant and current as this one does."

Kirkus Review: "A perceptive, well-wrought picture of an iconic figure..."-

Publisher’s Weekly: "..Blumenthal crafts an insightful, balanced portrait..."

5. CONNECTIONS

Other nonfiction titles by Karen Blumenthal:

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America

                                                          ISBN 9781665918749

Jane Against the World                      ISBN 9781626721654

Students can create a timeline of the evolution of technology. 

Just like Blumenthal includes what is on Jobs’ playlist, students can create their own playlists for themselves or for a character that they are reading in their novel.