Publishing a biography just after its subject’s death is a risky business: if it’s too flattering, it will be labelled as hagiography and not taken seriously; if it’s too unflattering, it seems disrespectful and you alienate his fans.
Attempting to vault over these hurdles is Walter Isaacson – the former managing editor of Time magazine and author of biographies of Einstein and Benjamin Franklin – who claims to have written the definitive life of Steve Jobs. Though he never read it, the late Apple co-founder authorised this biography and was interviewed by Isaacson over forty times.
Are there any big revelations?
Not really. He didn’t like Bill Gates. He refused to meet his natural father. He wasn’t very nice to work for. He turned up at an Apple Halloween party dressed as Jesus. He used to wash his feet in the toilet. But then we knew most of that already.
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