Steve Jobs

It’s unusual for modern biographies to be this good. It’s especially unusually for the subject of the biography to approach the biographer in the way that Steve Jobs did (thinking that he was the intellectual heir of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein). But despite those two things, this bio is and will likely forever be a classic. It shows Jobs at his best–determined, creative, prophetic–and at his worst–petty, selfish, tyrannical and vicious. You can learn just as much about what kind of leader you probably don’t want to be from this book as you can from anything else. That’s what is so strange about Jobs and this biography. You read it and you’re blown away and impressed but I think very few of us think: yeah, I want to be that guy. I want to treat my kids that way, I want to be obsessed with trivial design things that way, I want to hate that way, and so on. You admire him but you also see him as a tragic figure. That’s how you know that Isaacson did an amazing job with this book.

For business best practice.

If you want to become an entrepreneur and succeed in a competitive environment, then there are some evergreen books as well, for example: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Not sure if this counts as a business book, but Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is a great book. It really lets you get a glimpse into the mind of one of the most successful creators/entrepreneurs in recent history.

Instead of the mundane "Marketing Tricks and Tips" kind of books, I enjoy personal stories of entrepreneurs and learning about their approach to life and business. One in particular that stands out (rather predictably) is the story of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Their autobiographies are fantastic reads and if you haven't read them - go and do it now! I love learning about their personalities and attitude to life - that is massively motivating for me in business.

Also not a programming book, but inspiring if you are starting your own thing.

Favorite non-business book: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - if that counts as non-business.

Many books on the most successful people in business are very compelling. I recently read “Steve Jobs: An Autobiography” by Walter Isaacson followed by “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” By Ashlee Vance. The parallels of the success of the unique individuals as well as their personalities was very interesting. I am quite sure, however, that their definition of “success” resembled something I would not wish to hold. I was also very sure that while they may both be considered some of the greatest minds in our history, they both struggled deeply with inner happiness and contentment.

Probably all these autobiographies about great entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. They showed me the possibilities of entrepreneurship if you just have patience and ambition. And still right now…these books produce so many feelings of euphoria so that I just can't stop creating new stuff.

I love really detailed biographies, the thick ones, like the Arnold Schwarzenegger one and also Steve Jobs, the one done a few years ago was nice and solid really goes into the details, I love those. They’ve always been really impactful, whether it’s an entrepreneur or an athlete or a well-known celebrity or expert or historical figure, those biographies have had a big impact on me as well and just enjoyable to listen to.

I love to read biographies and stories of companies. Hatching Twitter is a really good book, and if you’re into that sort of books, bios of Steve Jobs (by Isaacson) or Jeff Bezos are great too.