Best Steve Jobs Books to Read in 2026 (Biographies & More)
Looking for the best Steve Jobs books? In October 2011, just after Steve Jobs died, we listed five Steve Jobs books that give an insight into the Apple co-founder, his working style and the genius behind the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. Several were new or not yet released then, including Walter Isaacson’s authorised biography. Since then, more good books have appeared, including one in Jobs’s own words from the Steve Jobs Archive. Here are the best Steve Jobs books to read in 2026.
Quick answer: The best Steve Jobs books are Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs (the authorised biography), Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli, and Make Something Wonderful, a collection of Jobs’s own speeches, emails and interviews from the Steve Jobs Archive. For leadership and presentation lessons, read Jay Elliot’s The Steve Jobs Way and Carmine Gallo’s books.
Table of Contents
Best Steve Jobs biographies
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (2011): the authorised biography, based on more than forty interviews with Jobs over two years and interviews with over a hundred family members, friends, rivals and colleagues. Jobs asked for no control over what was written. It is still the most complete account of his life.
- Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli (2015): written by a journalist who knew Jobs for 25 years, it focuses on how he grew as a leader, from his early mistakes to his return to Apple. Many Apple insiders preferred it to the official biography.
- Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs (2018): a memoir by his daughter about growing up with Steve Jobs, giving a personal and complicated view of him.
Steve Jobs in his own words
- Make Something Wonderful (2023): a curated collection of Jobs’s speeches, interviews and emails, published by the Steve Jobs Archive. You can read it free online on the Archive’s website or buy the print edition.
- I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words edited by George Beahm (2011): more than 200 quotations from three decades of interviews, which was on our original list. Good for quick inspiration.
Books on Steve Jobs’s leadership and presentations
- The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation by Jay Elliot: written by a former Apple Senior Vice President who worked closely with Jobs, about his product focus and leadership style.
- The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo: breaks down how Jobs planned and delivered his famous keynotes, with lessons anyone can use.
- The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo: explains his principles of innovation and why “Think Different” was more than a slogan.
- Insanely Simple by Ken Segall: by the ad agency creative who named the iMac, about Apple’s obsession with simplicity.
Which Steve Jobs book should you read first?
- For the full life story: Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs.
- For a more balanced view of how he changed: Becoming Steve Jobs.
- For his own thoughts, free: Make Something Wonderful.
- For work lessons: Carmine Gallo’s presentation book.
Want to see where it all began? Read about the first Macintosh computer, launched by Jobs in 1984.
Our original 2011 list
In 2011 we recommended Isaacson’s biography (then on preorder for 24 October 2011), I, Steve, The Steve Jobs Way, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs and The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, plus the older iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business. All are still worth reading, and the list above adds the best books published since.
FAQ
What is the best Steve Jobs biography?
Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs is the authorised and most detailed biography. Becoming Steve Jobs is a strong second choice.
Did Steve Jobs write a book?
No, but Make Something Wonderful collects his own words from speeches, interviews and emails.
Is there a Steve Jobs book for students?
Make Something Wonderful and his 2005 Stanford commencement speech are short, inspiring places to start.
Which Steve Jobs movie is based on a book?
The 2015 film Steve Jobs was based on Walter Isaacson’s biography.
Which Steve Jobs books have you read? Tell us in the comments.
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His books serve as an inspiration. According to me, everyone should read them.
We lost two Ideal Person in Month of Aug-2011. One is Steve Jobs and Second Great Person is Dennis Ritchie
Steve Jobs is a great visionary, leader dan entrepreneur. He changes information technology world and industry. I salute him. He is my inspire for my business.
never thought he has a book, did he release it in public?i just know it here..thanks
Thanks for the list. :)
“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do…. Don’t settle.” —Steve Jobs
as said in STANFORD UNIVERSITY……..