I’m not usually a fan of biographies.  I prefer fiction than nonfiction, and I usually get bored reading about someone’s life, even if it’s someone that I admire.  When I picked up Jessie Hartland’s new graphic biography of Steve Jobs though I was captivated!

Steve Jobs: Insanely Great tells the story of Steve Jobs in a unique and exciting way, using a graphic format that will appeal to teens and adults alike.  The book starts with Steve’s early life, when he was a mischief-maker and tinkerer, and it takes us through his teenage years, his short time at college and the businesses that he started from the ground up. The book is full of Steve’s achievements, his ups and downs, the people that he met and who influenced him, inspirational quotes, and a visual history of technology.  You get a real sense of how Steve Jobs thought and what he wanted to achieve.

Steve Jobs’ life was absolutely fascinating!  He knew what he wanted and strived for it, from starting Apple Computer in his parents’ garage to creating cool gadgets that revolutionised the music, phone and tablet computer industries. He was always looking to create new and exciting things and wanted to make technology that was better than anything before. He made millions of dollars (and lost millions) along the way.

One of my favourite aspects of Jessie Hartland’s book is that he takes you through the development of technology over Steve Jobs’ lifetime.  Jessie shows us the history of computers and computer games and how Steve developed his Apple computers.  Jessie also gives us a visual history of technology, from the 1960s when Steve was a child, through to the 2000s.

Steve Jobs: Insanely Great is a brilliant book about an icon who brought us some amazing technology that most of us couldn’t live without.  Give this book to the technology-crazy person in your life.