21A – Reading Reflection No. 2

Book: Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

The general theme of the book was proving that Steve Jobs was one the most innovative and influential people of our time and can be compared to the likes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford for his contributions to Smartphones, tablets, computing and animated films by describing his life story and his amazing feats. 

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

Reading about Steve Jobs further confirmed the importance of hard work, determinism, and value/meaning. It almost seems as if the most successful entrepreneurs possess superhuman qualities that allow them to manage and grow profitable businesses. For example, Steve Jobs is an extreme example of determinism and hard work he made employees work long workweeks and fired anyone on the spot if he thought they weren't good enough. Even though Steve Job's behavior was toxic this type of work culture worked for Apple because they heavily relied on innovation. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

Based on the book I would create a meditation exercise and encourage the study of Zen Buddhism. The benefits of being able to quiet the mind with meditation and along with understanding the core values of Zen Buddhism can help individuals make better decisions and stay calm in business or in any aspect of their life such as family.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

The biggest surprise from this book was that Steve Jobs consistently took LSD and he claims that it helped him come up with new ideas. Another surprising fact was that Jobs was vehemently into Zen Buddhism and mediated.