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iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It (Hardcover)
by Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith
| Category:
Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Corporate history, Biography, IT |
| Market price: ¥ 268.00
MSL price:
¥ 248.00
[ Shop incentives ]
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A great read for all engineers and entrepreneurs, this bood is about entrepreneurship, and about being true to your values. |
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Author: Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Pub. in: September, 2006
ISBN: 0393061434
Pages: 288
Measurements: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00981
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-0393061437
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- Awards & Credential -
One of the most revealing tales about what happened at Apple. |
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- MSL Picks -
Steve Wozniak, the engineer chiefly responsible for the original Apple I and II, recounts his view of the events leading up to the founding of Apple Computer, and beyond.
Clearly, his knowledge of electronics, his desire to build a working personal computer, his experience at Hewlett-Packard, and his hard work all came into alignment to produce (and then sell) the Apple I, with invaluable help from, of course, Steve Jobs. In this book, Woz conveys the excitement and satisfaction of achieving critical goals in refining the PC design and the PC-user interface that we all now take for granted.
The consummate engineer, Woz avoided "management" like the plague. He was the man behind the curtain, especially regarding the design of the insanely great Apple II, which was critical in getting Apple Computer off the ground.
Woz occasionally reflects on his nerdiness and unwillingness to abandon his love for math and science in order to socially "fit in" while while in his teens. All of us nerds who are drawn to this book can likely relate. A familiar, but sad, commentary on the American "culture".
The last third of the book dwells on the decade or so after the initial, phenomenal success of Apple and how Woz dealt with his new wealth - mainly by spreading it around for fun and educational enterprises. He also tells about other entrepreneurial endeavors outside Apple, his take on Apple sans Jobs during the early 90's, and on Apple after the return of Steve Jobs.
This is an highly enjoyable, nerdy autobiography - somewhat adolescent in attitude, not too intimate or personally revealing, enthusiastically technical in places, with a hearty and prankish dose of distrust of authority.
(From quoting R. Stout, USA)
Target readers:
Engineers, Computer Science graduates and students, entrepreneurs, innovators, IT professionals and MBAs with interest in technology.
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Steve Wozniak has been inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of Technology and the Heinz Award. He lives in California.
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From Publisher
The mastermind behind Apple sheds his low profile and steps forward to tell his story for the first time.
Before cell phones that fit in the palm of your hand and slim laptops that fit snugly into briefcases, computers were like strange, alien vending machines. They had cryptic switches, punch cards and pages of encoded output. But in 1975, a young engineering wizard named Steve Wozniak had an idea: What if you combined computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen? The result was the first true personal computer, the Apple I, a widely affordable machine that anyone could understand and figure out how to use.
Wozniak's life - before and after Apple - is a "home-brew" mix of brilliant discovery and adventure, as an engineer, a concert promoter, a fifth-grade teacher, a philanthropist, and an irrepressible prankster. From the invention of the first personal computer to the rise of Apple as an industry giant, iWoz presents a no-holds-barred, rollicking, firsthand account of the humanist inventor who ignited the computer revolution. 16 pages of illustrations.
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| View all 10 comments |
Alan Deutschman (Author of The Second Coming of Steve Jobs) (MSL quote), USA
<2007-08-22 00:00>
Worth waiting for… adds intriguing new information to the history of the origins of the personal computer revolution.
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Guy Kawasaki (Author of The Macintosh Way) (MSL quote), USA
<2007-08-22 00:00>
Every engineer - and certainly every engineering student - should read this book… . It is, in a nutshell, the engineer's manifesto.
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Ray Kurzweil (Inventor and author of Singularity Is Near), USA
<2007-08-22 00:00>
Everyone should enjoy Woz's very personal and engaging story…. What a wild ride!
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David Kopec (MSL quote), USA
<2007-08-22 00:00>
This autobiography's greatest weakness is Wozniak's style, and this book's greatest strength... is Wozniak's style. Woz expresses himself in a manner that is reminiscent of any TV interview you've seen with him. Basically he writes like he talks - it's almost stream of consciousness. Early in the book I actually started to believe the book was written for children, and in the final chapter it was confirmed that part of his goal was to inspire youngsters. However he claims he only decided to go in that direction halfway through, leaving me wondering if the style is a decision independent of such a target audience. Anyway, the bottom line is that while it makes the book seem authentic and down to Earth, it sometimes also seems a little amatuerish.
As far as the content goes - well I certainly found it interesting. Maybe that's because I was already a huge fan of Mr. Wozniak's, but I think that all readers interested in invention, engineering, computers, or electronics will find an inspirational story well worth the read. Indeed, that is what you take away from iWoz - inspiration. That this very good person (good in the nice, compassionate, and friendly sort of way) is able to use his intelligence, hard work, and perseverance to positively change the world in a big way with few initial resources, is truely the message to take away.
I would like to stress though that this is not a juicy 'tell-all'. While there are a couple Steve Jobs anecdotes, and a few comments on the politics of early 80s Apple, it's nothing that those who follow these things didn't already know. Basically, Wozniak ends his personal story sometime in his mid 20s and from then on it's mostly about his work, philanthropy and US Festivals. There's not much about his three marriages, interests outside of engineering and music, or perhaps what many are curious about - his current relationship with Jobs and other important figures. Even the days at Apple in the late 70s/early 80s don't give a good feel for the company's day to day existance - Wozniak chooses instead of focus on the engineering/product side of things. Further, the last 10 years of Woz's life are practically skipped over entirely - even though this seems to be a career minded autobiography, there's no mention of Woz's last startup, Wheels of Zeus, at all!
However, it seems clear that Wozniak very deliberately tried to shape his story to be about his main message - the possibility for anyone with a good idea, perseverance, and enough know-how to change the world. And Wozniak is able to express it very effectively. However, I am going to hold out hope that Woz does someday give us another volume filled with much more detail regarding the latter part of his life. |
View all 10 comments |
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