Steve WozniakRecensioni

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.

A very interesting first person account from the person who designed and built the first two Apple Computers, and was one of the most important people in kick-starting the personal computer revolution.

Woz himself is a plausiblly reliable, but obviously very selective narrator (there was very little substantive about his marriages and divorces, for example). He mostly wants to talk about his engineering, which, happily, was what I was most interested in.

There is no false-modesty about Woz - he is proud of and outspoken about his achievements, going all the way back to early childhood. But while he is obviously pleased about them, he doesn't actually seem boastful. It's more matter-of-fact than that. Indeed, in some of his anecdotes there seems to be a certain lack of emotional intelligence, which could all be part of the same thing.

Similarly, when he talks about what is important to him in life - happiness, having fun, doing what you love - I totally believe him. While nowhere near as famous, nor as rich, and perhaps not as accomplished as Steve Jobs, he is clearly the happier of the two. (In fact, his energy, curiosity and apparent ease with complex ideas reminded me most of Richard Feynman - or the Feynman that comes out through his own anecdotes at least).

Unfortunately, some of the technical explanations of Woz's innovations weren't as clear as they should have been - I guess that's for reasons of space, but I would have preferred it if a little more had been devoted to cleaner, clearer explanations for the layman (and I'm an experienced software engineer - I don't have much hardware experience, but still I would have thought I should have been able to grasp the basics of what was done, and often I couldn't).

You wouldn't read this for the writing style - it's quite hokey at times - but for the insight into a transformative period of technology, by one of the people at the very forefront. It's very engaging, and Woz is very impressive, and likeable. I wish the technical explanations were a little clearer and more detailed, but overall I enjoyed this a whole lot.

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.½

This turned out to be a fun book to read. Steve Wozniak is a pretty immature and unsophisticated writer, but what got through was his enthusiasm.

He covers growing up with his father encouraging his own curiosity and interest in engineering and electronics, explaining electronics and helping him build things like crystal radios and other circuits.

Then gets into his college life, his blue box years hacking the phone system (and sounds like it took him a long time to realize it was stealing) and then a lot of detail about how he designed the Apple I and Apple II computers by himself, with Steve Jobs helping start the company and doing the dealing to get parts and business, but not helping with technical design in any way.

I really didn't see the humor in some of the pranks and jokes he described, usually the ones where he wrote that he was dismayed that no one got them. Most of them, I just didn't see what was funny about them.

Throughout the whole book he brags about his skill, although in this case he's probably earned it, he really does have the skill.

And he often gets very repetitive, saying the same sentences over and over, often multiple times in a single paragraph. Paragraphs themselves often change direction and are filled with non sequiturs.

Overall, it was fun reading, not because it was well written, but because his enthusiasm is catching, and I was already a fan of the computers he designed, with my first personal computer having been an Apple //e, of which I have very fond memories.

What a delightful character Woz is. He is affable, non-confrontational and the perfect balance and partner for Steve Jobs. He is a genius and an artistic engineer. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his unabridged autobiography. He is a nerd, but a delightful and passionate nerd with a warm heart. I can see why and how the partnership of Woz and Jobs resulted in such a great company. Well, well worth reading/listening. Very enjoyable. BTW, he corrects a few wrong myths about the earlier days and also give his perspective on mistakes and extraordinary accomplishments of Apple.

When you finish this book, you feel Woz has been your friend for years. This is the "other side of the story" of Apple Computer told with no spin and no blame. The writing is easy reading page turner.

Got to say it does not surprise me that it is freaks and that it is geeks that change the world for the better, and make it a much better place to live with their crazy ideas and their crazy inventions, and their crazy dreams, and how those who are not considered freaks and those who are not considered geeks by the society, always find a way to mess their ideas, their inventions, and their dreams up and use them in a such terrible way that they don't benefit the society in a good way and in a long run. Steve's no doubt a genius, a very smart man of immensely high intelligence, and a true computer geek, and it's that combination, that has made the incredibly crazy idea of one of the world's most powerful tech companies come true and come to life.

It tells how #SteveWozniak wrote #BASIC for the Original #Apple from scratch ! nuff said.

I LOVE WOZ. In interviews and public appearances he always comes across as affable and down-to-earth — a loveable nerd with a big brain and big heart. So it's disappointing that whilst the book gives some insight into his pranksterish personality and interesting tidbits about his time with Apple, it is excruciating to wade through. Imagine being told a story by an excitable nine-year-old, who keeps saying 'and then I did this', 'and I was great at it', 'and then I did this', 'and mine was the best', 'and then I did this', 'but that didn't work', 'and then I did this...' And to the nine-year-old their story is the BEST THING EVER so they go to great lengths to explain every detail to the point where the story is lost. Over and over again. FOR NINE HOURS!!! (I listened to the unabridged audiobook). I STILL LOVE WOZ, but I won't be reading another book by him any time soon.

Enjoyable read...particularly the engineering parts where he talked about creating his computer and figuring things out way ahead of the curve. i always appreciate economy of design and coding and it sure seems that Woz did too. And unlike Steve Jobs who had less than no redeeming qualities at all, Steve Wozniak is an actual human being who cares and it comes through in his narrative...didn't blame Jobs for his myriad flaws, though he certainly coukd have.

Hats off to the man who single-handedly designed and built the last good computer Apple ever made (that would be the Apple II)...nice story.

Well, as far as a biography goes, there isn’t all that much and what there is, is only adding to the impression of a somewhat disjointed personality.

The impression this book left me was an attempt to set the record straight, which is never a good thing in a biography.

Writing-wise the book is awful. Repetition ad nauseam, boasting, etc. We don't really get to know the man behind all those achievements, that is, the universal remote control, Apple I, Apple II, Apple III (Ahem, sorry, my mistake, this one was "invented" by a committe lead by Steve Jobs, ah ah).

If you're really interested to know the Wozniak's personal take on the "invention" of the personal computer, go ahead and read it. If not, there's already a all bunch of information on the web, where the record is already straight... Stick to it.

This is my first review on Goodreads. I was very lucky to win a copy of “iWoz” as part of the First Reads giveaways. I may not have read this otherwise, but I really enjoyed it and am glad I won! Perhaps my biggest impression, what I remember most, is that I learned a lot about electrical engineering and how computers are put together and function. Wozniak presents a very logical layout of the development of electronics, and how he met technological needs – often in an overnight marathon (though after writing out or printing on paper beforehand, until it was all memorized). He had the vision to anticipate what people would want to use in the future. His sense of humor is always present, though some of his pranks did not seem to be such good ideas. The dial-a-joke and other phone-related hacks were amusing, though these are probably not going to be around much longer. He is an example of what one might do when they have more money than they know what to do with, like creating a music festival from scratch, but also giving to other philanthropic causes.
The Apple I and especially the Apple II computers seemed to be his biggest accomplishment, and he explains why these were a success, while other products (like the Apple III) were not. He also tells what it was like to work for different companies (such as HP), and to start one (for making a universal remote control). His experience with anterograde amnesia was interesting, as a biological rather than technological problem. I thought he made it clear that he is very honest, yet still with human flaws, like not being able to keep a marriage together. He seems like a very good person in any case, and has used his knowledge and production for good. Now, too, the record may be set straight on a few legends surrounding Apple and the Home Brew Computer Group. This was an easy-to-follow book (at one point the reader is reminded this is a “family” book), and it is well-paced, probably thanks in large part to Gina Smith. It is always interesting to hear people tell their stories, and this gives a solid background on the foundations of much of the technology we use today.

Not the most stunning writing, but to the point. A look into the world of the lone genius.

Great book.. amazed by Wozs' creative genius. good tech book :-) hope Woz pens a book on his pranks too ;-).
Wozs' great at tech level.. very inspiring.

This is my first review on Goodreads. I was very lucky to win a copy of “iWoz” as part of the First Reads giveaways. I may not have read this otherwise, but I really enjoyed it and am glad I won! Perhaps my biggest impression, what I remember most, is that I learned a lot about electrical engineering and how computers are put together and function. Wozniak presents a very logical layout of the development of electronics, and how he met technological needs – often in an overnight marathon (though after writing out or printing on paper beforehand, until it was all memorized). He had the vision to anticipate what people would want to use in the future. His sense of humor is always present, though some of his pranks did not seem to be such good ideas. The dial-a-joke and other phone-related hacks were amusing, though these are probably not going to be around much longer. He is an example of what one might do when they have more money than they know what to do with, like creating a music festival from scratch, but also giving to other philanthropic causes.
The Apple I and especially the Apple II computers seemed to be his biggest accomplishment, and he explains why these were a success, while other products (like the Apple III) were not. He also tells what it was like to work for different companies (such as HP), and to start one (for making a universal remote control). His experience with anterograde amnesia was interesting, as a biological rather than technological problem. I thought he made it clear that he is very honest, yet still with human flaws, like not being able to keep a marriage together. He seems like a very good person in any case, and has used his knowledge and production for good. Now, too, the record may be set straight on a few legends surrounding Apple and the Home Brew Computer Group. This was an easy-to-follow book (at one point the reader is reminded this is a “family” book), and it is well-paced, probably thanks in large part to Gina Smith. It is always interesting to hear people tell their stories, and this gives a solid background on the foundations of much of the technology we use today.

I agree with some other reviewers that the writing style/level is overly simplistic, even child-like, and Woz's descriptions of many of his past projects and accomplishments come off sounding... not arrogant, but like child-like bragging. I don't know if that's because he's truly that innocently child-like, or he just doesn't know how to express himself otherwise, and I did find it somewhat frustrating for much of the book. But the stories of his background managed to interest me enough to continue and eventually finish the book, and I do appreciate the experience.

Interestingly, it was that last chapter that shifted my opinion of much of the book and its writing style. I feel as though the first nineteen chapters were almost just establishing his background and accomplishments and such so that he could build up the authority to say what he really wanted to say in chapter twenty, which is to encourage the young to follow their dreams and talents, to be unafraid of others' expectations and discouragements, to go forth and do. I have to wonder, then, if the seemingly childish writing style was intentional, meant to reach those very youngsters that that last chapter seemed meant to address. I don't know. At least that would give more sense to the style that frustrated many of us. If so, it might have served better to say something to that effect early on, to reframe expectations with that in mind.

In any case, with that in mind, and just accepting that I found his mode of expression to be somewhat childishly clumsy, I did appreciate the core of the his stories, anyway, and ended up appreciating the book as a whole by the time I'd finished it more than I'd thought I would along the way. At the same time, I can easily see how that same story-telling style would drive some adult readers away long before then.

I loved this book! I loved Woz! He seems like a really cool guy. So I was shocked -- shocked -- at the many instances of overt hostility toward this book by so many reviewers. Man, they hate it! They think the writing is terrible, even though it has a professional co-author. They think he's arrogant and conceited. They think he over-inflates his worth. I couldn't disagree more. I enjoyed the writing. I thought it was intentionally conversational and easy to read. What do people want -- a damn textbook??? It makes tech easy for anyone to understand and I think that's good. As to his arrogance, when you've done the things he has done -- and very few people have -- you have a right to be arrogant, in my opinion. He was the youngest HAM operator is the world, quite possibly. He very likely invented the personal computer and changed everyone's lives forever. He built, solely, one of the greatest computers ever -- the Apple II. He invented the universal remote. And he's not entitled to be proud of his achievements? Give me a break! If I had done this, I'd sure to tooting my own horn, that's for certain. And as for the few dissenters claiming he didn't invent the personal computer, it's plausible there were earlier personal computers, such as the Altair, but hobbyists had to put them together themselves, they didn't have keyboards or screens -- just lights and buttons. He really did create the personal computer as we know it. Of course, he didn't get where he got without the help of Steve Jobs, but if anyone was ever an egomaniac, it was Jobs, not Woz. Jobs was the biggest narcissist ever seen, I believe. I don't know how Woz could have worked with him for so long. I enjoyed reading about his upbringing, about his early phone phreaking, about constructing and selling blue boxes, about his educational efforts, about his reluctance to start a new company, about his desire to remain a geek forever and never go into management, his thoughts about other people both in and out of the Apple world. I loved this book! I again just don't understand why so many people hate it. It makes no sense to me. This is what I want out of an autobiography -- a reader-friendly, true life account of an interesting person's life and exploits. Excellent. Strongly recommended.

This book is Steve Wozniak’s (Woz’s) autobiography. It stands in sharp contrast to Steve Jobs’ biography by Walter Isaacson, just as Woz and Jobs are very contrasting individuals. This book is not a great read (at least in part because Woz is not a great writer), but it is an interesting companion to Isaacson’s work. Woz is an unapologetic engineer and this book (from 2006) is his attempt to set the record straight. I came away amazed that he and Jobs were ever able to be friends. Woz comes across a brilliant and compassionate, but somewhat clueless. My guess is that I would much rather have spent time with Woz than Jobs, despite his penchant for sometimes cruel practical jokes. However, without Jobs, I don’t think what Woz would have amounted to much. I also think Woz probably would have been happier. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in seeing another side of the Apple/Jobs story.

Unreadable.

Good light airplane fare. I was struck by how closely Woz's childhood experiences with technology were the same as mine (playing with continuity, diodes, building crystal radios), and how when mine diverged it was partly due to his work.

A good read, an interesting life. A nuts and bolts account of the early era of the personal computer 'revolution'. The life of Woz, the guy who created Apple computers, and many other devices and ideas we associate with technology.

What I noted was his near aversion to material success, desiring to be 'just' an engineer. Also his humanity, and generosity.

A must read for anyone that grew up with an Apple ][ on their desk or in their school. Wozniak comes across quite well and he shows to be the geek's geek, sticking to his values and doing something sometimes just for the sake of doing it. Many of the younger crowd might be able to understand how the personal computer industry wasn't seen as the path to being rich back in the 70s and 80s by reading this take on how Woz's innovations came to be.