Jobs

I sometimes read books that I normally would not read just to try to learn something new or try to have a different perspective in life.

I bought my husband the book on ",Steve Jobs," by Walter Isaacson.

I mostly bought it for him because I wanted to read it myself to hopefully "learn" something new and have a new insight in the way of business.

Unfortunately, after reading it, I walked away with a bad taste in my mouth. It was like eating a big juicy apple (no pun intended) and biting into a big ol' worm.

Everything I was 'taught' in how to run a business, how to treat and deal with co-workers, and how to diplomatically communicate with the general public was totally the opposite in how Jobs did things. Everything business-like was thrown out of the window.

He was basically a whiny, selfish, self serving, self absorbed, ill mannered, neurotic, a guy-who-needed-a-bath- JERK!

I am still puzzled in how he got people to help him and work with him on any level!

He rarely bathed, he was late for meetings, he was rude and cruel to co-workers, he stole ideas, he asked inappropriate questions to potential employees (do you drop acid? when did you lose your virginity?), his "reality distortion"perception was so odd, he turned his back on close friends, AND toted the joys of experimental recreational drug use (LSD).(!)

What the F*&&!!!?

After the initial shock and (my feelings of) disappointment after reading this book I tried to sort through any redeeming factors in what made this guy grossly successful.

He was in fact a" visionary". Nothing was impossible to him. His ideas of "distorted reality" was pushed to what then, became a reality in the field of computers.He pushed and pushed himself (and others around him) to make things happen.

I have to say there were two redeeming thoughts he had that I do have to agree with.

1# He couldn't understand why people worshiped Jesus. He thought it was kind of a waste. He felt wouldn't it be better if people acted like Jesus instead of following silly made up man-made rules.

Yes, as a modern day living saint, I totally agree with that concept. ACT like Jesus!

2# He had a meeting with President Obama shortly before he died. For one thing, he wasn't impressed or intimidated in meeting him and he spoke his mind. He offered thoughts and suggestions on solving certain problems. Obama had a 'yeah, but..." series of excuses of why things can't change. Jobs argued with him with" a nothing is impossible" attitude if you envision it. I have to agree with that "nothing is impossible if we work on on it" attitude.

I certainly would not have wanted him to be president because of his volatile temperament but he did have that push and drive to "make things happen".

He was indeed an interesting although an unconventional character. He was sort a mouse in a maze obsessively seeking that cheese at the end of the tunnel. He was going to find that cheese despite the road blocks. Perhaps that is what his idea of success was: finding that cheese in spite of the road blocks-even if it meant chewing through the walls.