In a biography cleverly framed by the structure of Steve Jobs's commencement speech to the 2005 graduating class from Stanford University, Karen Blumenthal (Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929) takes a balanced view of the charismatic founder of Apple.
Like Lakin's biography (above), Blumenthal hits on the key people and events that shaped Steve Jobs. But because Blumenthal's audience is young adults, she also lays bare many of his flaws, along with his achievements. The details of his life juxtaposed with his advice to Stanford's graduates create opportunities for readers' contemplation and self-examination. The author exposes painful episodes such as his periodic estrangement from his daughter, Lisa, and a disputed monetary bonus split with Steve Wozniak after a project they did with Atari in their youth. Abundant technical, business and personal details make this biography attractive to kids with a wide array of interests. Sidebars, a timeline that maps out Jobs's career and a generous number of photographs add visual interest. (A wry "Apple vs. Apple" sidebar incorporates allusions to Beatles lyrics to illustrate an ongoing feud between Apple the computer company and the Beatles' company, Apple Corps.)
Blumenthal's thought-provoking biography asks us to consider the total "man who thought different," the choices he made and his foibles along with his strengths. No one achieves the success he did without giving up some things, too. Jobs was not much older than Blumenthal's audience when he began his meteoric rise; the author invites readers to pause and consider how our choices shape who we become. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness