3.5 stars.

Maybe it’s growing up in the Silicon Valley, maybe it’s all the Jobs biographies I’ve already read, but I feel like I’m missing what all the hype over this one is about. It almost seems to focus more on his legacy and his products/career trajectory than who he was — yes, I know that his work/life balance was heavily skewed and the two are inextricably intertwined — and while educational (for example, I hadn’t realized the extent of his role in Pixar or of his celebrity connections), it’s not really what I personally look for in a biography. (The ending is more like it: the parts about his battle with cancer, his family, even the epilogue were really good.)

So I can see why this book appeals to the masses; it’s thoroughly researched, full of colorful anecdotes and interesting dialogue, and generally pretty brutally honest. But it’s certainly not the best of its kind.