Steve Jobs

Gr 9 Up—From his teen years, living down the street from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in Silicon Valley, to his invention of the first Apple computer to not long before his death, this documentary gives viewers a true sense of Steve Jobs's creative genius. It looks at the influences on Jobs's life as well as how he changed our lives. Each concept and stage in his life is introduced by a single word—celebrity, tyrant, Buddhist, etc.—with interviews and stills to flesh out the concept. Jobs's flaws and strengths are presented. Notables like his arch rival Bill Gates, Ross Perot, Richard Branson, and Wil.i.am of Black Eyed Peas provide insightful commentary. His constant focus on getting to the creation, while ignoring any barriers to the finished product, often created friction with those who worked for or with Jobs. This trait, as well as his Buddhist beliefs, affected the design of Apple products. Viewers will be intrigued by how a visit to a drugstore for roll-on deodorant and a butter dish ineers became the prototype for a mouse. The profile ends with numerous montages of people from around the world mourning his death. Views will be educated, intrigued, and entertained.—John Clark, Hartland Public Library, ME