First things first, I do hate this headline. Perhaps that’s my reverence at work.
That said, here are a few chunks from this article about Lisa Brennan-Jobs’ upcoming book that are the focus of this point:
Mr. Jobs fathered her at 23, then denied paternity despite a DNA match, and gave little in financial or emotional support even as he became a god of the early computing era.
And:
In passage after passage of “Small Fry,” Mr. Jobs is vicious to his daughter and those around her. Now, in the days before the book is released, Ms. Brennan-Jobs is fearful that it will be received as a tell-all exposé, and not the more nuanced portrait of a family she intended.
And:
On the eve of publication, what Ms. Brennan-Jobs wants readers to know is this: Steve Jobs rejected his daughter for years, but that daughter has absolved him. Triumphantly, she loves him, and she wants the book’s scenes of their roller skating and laughing together to be as viral as the scenes of him telling her she will inherit nothing.
I do think the article is worth reading and that the headline is accurate, if not emotionally manipulative. I’m torn about reading the book. I know what I’ll find, and I’m not sure how much truth about Steve Jobs I want to absorb. But truth is truth and I’d be hypocritical if I ignored the sour for the sweet.
Ironically, this will be one of the first books I order in the newly rendered Apple Books.
“Should we” is presumptuous. This didn’t happen to any of us, so it’s not our place to forgive him.
Well said.
not when it comes to family dynamic, recollection, childhood, human memory, etc.. then its a matter of who’s truth. it becomes complicated. none of us will ever know the truth, and likely none of them either.
Exactly. That “should we” is an idiotic thing to write in the headline.
“Can we?” might be less annoying? Though it’s not really forgiveness, it’s more “can we still revere him?” knowing what a jerk he was. It is depressing to think that it takes somebody so abusive to create amazing things.
No need to be depressed. It *doesn’t* take that. It’s just a coincidence in this specific case.
Indeed!
We are all jerks!
We can condemn behaviours, but can we undertand?
Job is revered as a human being, along with his flaws. Flaws we all have.
I always have to remind myself that the writers of the articles don’t write the headlines, but they sure do take the shit for it. Bad headline.
I don’t think, at this point, there is much disagreement that while brilliant, young Steve Jobs was a first class asshat. Bad father, bad friend, and often a bad person. That he matured, overcame these faults, and was in many ways a different man later in life is what makes his an interesting story. I prefer this to deification to be honest.
There are plenty of books that portray Steve Jobs as a jerk. I’ll probably read this one because there are parts that don’t. It’s good that she doesn’t hate her father.
Editorial Nonsense 101: If you put a question in the headline, people will read the article to get the answer.