iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer,…

It was interesting learning the history of Apple and other projects Woz was part of. However, I had trouble with the style of his writing. It read more like he was an enthusiastic teenager boasting to friends. Some of the writing seemed repetitive and almost child-like. This made it difficult for me to take seriously enough to really enjoy. Still, it was worth getting his perspective on Apple and the growth of computer technology. ( )

This book is a transcription of many recorded interviews and it reads that way. It would appear that Woz’s simple way of speaking does not translate well to the the written word. That said, this book was worth reading if only to get Steve Wozniak’s true story from the original imperfect source. ( )

I really enjoyed reading Steve's story of his life, and the development of technology, especially the early Apple products. Steve has a very casual story telling method that includes some repetition. However, I generally enjoyed his voice and message. ( )

Solid autobiography of and by Steve Wozniak; essentially the modern era Leonardo da Vinci. Interesting both due to the information included and what he chose to include, both of which are good insights into his psychology. ( )

In iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple, and had Fun Doing It, Steve Wozniak recounts his life from his boyhood experiments engineering basic electronics with transistors through the early 2000s and seeing the changes in Apple with the iMac and iPod. He describes his ethical background and desire to develop products that improve the lives of ordinary people as well as the simple joy of solving the engineering problems necessary to accomplish that desire. Woz details the first motherboards he constructed, his experiments with phone phreaking and what it taught him about understanding systems, his work with Hewlett-Packard, and more, offering a candidness that’s refreshing for the reader. He also challenges some of the narratives that have built up around his early years with Apple, such as he and Steve Jobs building the Apple I in their garage (they only did the final assembly in the garage), or his leaving the company because he was dissatisfied (he had other ambitions, though he recognized that some employees were dissatisfied). Though Woz wrote this in 2006, it’s a good history of the early days of Silicon Valley from someone who was there and is likely to inspire readers to go out and find a way to make a difference, whether or not they choose engineering. He and co-author Gina Smith’s writing is very readable and conversational, which helps when he describes technical processes. Overall, an enjoyable and inspiring memoir. ( )