by: Dick Van Dyke
I want to preface this post by saying I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy read about an actor who I like and enjoy. However, it was probably a bad idea to read it immediately after Steve Jobs.
It was nice to read about the golden age of television and see how actors back then had real talents like singing and dancing. Van Dyke is 75% of the way to an EGOT, only missing an Oscar. That is an especially amazing feat since he is known primarily for only 4 things: The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Diagnosis Murder.
The only problem with this book is the one I read before it. I was still in the frame of mind of Walter Isaacson’s take on Steve Jobs’ life and it carried over to this read. First of all, one is a biography and one is a memoir. That’s a huge difference. I’m not saying Van Dyke was trying to spin anything in his favor but obviously it was written from his perspective. Second, there was no dirt. Van Dyke is known for being clean cut and staying out of tabloid trouble which is fine, of course, except that I had already been immersed in the Apple exposé known as Steve Jobs.
Anyway, it’s a good read if you’re a fan of Dick Van Dyke but make a point to buffer it with some lighter fare (or maybe I’m just weird).
Showing posts with label steve jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steve jobs. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Book Review: Steve Jobs
by: Walter Isaacson
Unprecedented access. That’s what Walter Isaacson got from Steve Jobs and that’s what the reader gets from Steve Jobs.
Most people know his story, especially the past decade or so. But this biography has a lot of inside information that the public never had access to: behind the scenes stories and glimpses into a brilliant mind. But with that brilliance came a dark side. He was a perfectionist and therefore a very difficult and demanding boss. The fact that he was so hands as a CEO made it even more of an issue with confrontations between him and employees becoming common daily occurrences.
But people believed in his vision and would follow him anywhere. His list of successes is enviable; the original Macintosh, iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad, nevermind his co-creation and leadership of Pixar (yes, that Pixar). He was a showman first and foremost but was also a design freak. He lived by the mantra of minimalism and making things as simple as possible.
This life story is so packed with information that I can’t even write a cohesive blog post about it. Read this book for the true tale of Steve Jobs.
Unprecedented access. That’s what Walter Isaacson got from Steve Jobs and that’s what the reader gets from Steve Jobs.
Most people know his story, especially the past decade or so. But this biography has a lot of inside information that the public never had access to: behind the scenes stories and glimpses into a brilliant mind. But with that brilliance came a dark side. He was a perfectionist and therefore a very difficult and demanding boss. The fact that he was so hands as a CEO made it even more of an issue with confrontations between him and employees becoming common daily occurrences.
But people believed in his vision and would follow him anywhere. His list of successes is enviable; the original Macintosh, iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad, nevermind his co-creation and leadership of Pixar (yes, that Pixar). He was a showman first and foremost but was also a design freak. He lived by the mantra of minimalism and making things as simple as possible.
This life story is so packed with information that I can’t even write a cohesive blog post about it. Read this book for the true tale of Steve Jobs.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
iPhone 5! Wait, no…
Get ready for Apple’s newest release the "S"! That’s right, much like the old iPhone 3G, the iPhone 4 was found worthy of an "S" update. WOW!!!!
Speed? Sass? Not quite. The "S" stands for Siri. Much like those hands free sync systems they have in cars now ("Call Home", "Play Radiohead", etc.) Apple managed to shrink the technology to fit inside an iPhone. But not an iPhone 5.
I’m kidding of course. Yes, everyone is disappointed that Apple didn’t release a new phone but there’s no way Steve Jobs would have left his post before a huge announcement like that. Anyway, Siri appears to be quite a tool. Through voice commands you can have her read your messages, check the weather, do online searches, add calendar appointments, set reminders, and more.
My big question is unless you’re driving, when would it be useful? The iPhone is already so simplistic that this just seems unnecessary in most situations. Am I missing something or is that exactly why Apple stock dropped 0.6% after the announcement? Let me know in the comments.
Speed? Sass? Not quite. The "S" stands for Siri. Much like those hands free sync systems they have in cars now ("Call Home", "Play Radiohead", etc.) Apple managed to shrink the technology to fit inside an iPhone. But not an iPhone 5.
I’m kidding of course. Yes, everyone is disappointed that Apple didn’t release a new phone but there’s no way Steve Jobs would have left his post before a huge announcement like that. Anyway, Siri appears to be quite a tool. Through voice commands you can have her read your messages, check the weather, do online searches, add calendar appointments, set reminders, and more.
My big question is unless you’re driving, when would it be useful? The iPhone is already so simplistic that this just seems unnecessary in most situations. Am I missing something or is that exactly why Apple stock dropped 0.6% after the announcement? Let me know in the comments.
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