iWoz: How I Invented the Personal Computer and Had Fun Along the Way

by Gina Smith, Steve Wozniak Narrated by Patrick Lawlor

Overview

The mastermind behind Apple sheds his low profile and steps forward to tell his story for the first time.



Before cell phones that fit in the palm of your hand and slim laptops that fit snugly into briefcases, computers were like strange, alien vending machines. They had cryptic switches, punch cards and pages of encoded output. But in 1975, a young engineering wizard named Steve Wozniak had an idea: What if you combined computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen? The result was the first true personal computer, the Apple I, a widely affordable machine that anyone could understand and figure out how to use.



Wozniak's life-before and after Apple-is a "home-brew" mix of brilliant discovery and adventure, as an engineer, a concert promoter, a fifth-grade teacher, a philanthropist, and an irrepressible prankster. From the invention of the first personal computer to the rise of Apple as an industry giant, iWoz presents a no-holds-barred, rollicking, firsthand account of the humanist inventor who ignited the computer revolution.

Editorial Reviews

Stephen "Woz" Wozniak claims that he was inspired by Tom Swift; but even that fictional science wizard would be dazzled by the achievements of the Apple co-founder. Wozniak's 1975 brainstorm developed into the Apple I, the world's first true personal computer. This engineering and marketing breakthrough became the catalyst of a revolution that we still happily inhabit. In this brisk memoir, the reclusive "Wizard of Woz" describes his epoch-making years at Apple and his multiple careers thereafter. He also describes his recovery from a 1981 airplane crash, which left him temporarily without a short-term memory. The "Other Steve," the silent half of Apple, speaks out.

Peter Burrows,Peter

This memoir truly reflects its author, both in its subject matter and its happy-go-lucky tone. ... At its best, iWoz is what its author says he hoped the book would be: an inspiration for nerdy kids who may feel "outside the norm."
—BusinessWeek

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170748563
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	01/01/2007
Edition description:	Unabridged

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