iWoz by Gina Smith and Steve Wozniak (2006, Hardcover)

Synopsis
In this memoir, Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple computers, tells his side of the story of the intense and exhilarating effort in the 1970s to turn an idea--the personal computer--into a viable reality. He and Steve Jobs, sometimes working out of a garage, did just that with the Apple I and then the Apple II, a forerunner of the Macintosh. Their unprecedented success changed America and the world, and made Wozniak a wealthy man. Here, he describes how it all happened, and also writes about his life after Apple, including his philanthropic pursuits, conveying a zest for life as he exemplifies the advice to "follow your bliss."

Once upon a time, computers looked like big, alien vending machines. They had large screens, cryptic switches, huge boxes, and odd lights. 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. Widely affordable and easily understood, Wozniak's invention has been rapidly transforming our world ever since. His 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.--From publisher description.

Key Details
Author:	Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith
Language:	English
Publisher:	W W Norton & Co Inc
Format:	Hardcover
ISBN-10:	0393061434
ISBN-13:	9780393061437

Size
Length:	313 pages
Thickness:	1 in
Weight:	21.6 oz

Publisher's Note
"The high-tech wizard behind Apple offers a personal account of the creation of the first personal computer by marrying computer circuitry with a video screen and a typewriter keyboard to create the affordable, easy-to-use Apple I, detailing his life before and after Apple and providing a personal perspective on an invention that ignited the computer revolution. 50,000 first printing."

In this first time account subtitled: How I invented the personal computer, co-founded Apple, and had fun dong it, "the Woz" recounts his early years and how he and Steve Jobs' created the first true modern computer. The book includes anecdotes sure to be of interest to fellow geeks, photos of the engineer, and a glossary of computer terms. Not referenced or indexed. California journalist Gina Smith is listed as co-author. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Industry Reviews
"This book may not be the smoothest read in town, but it does seem to accurately reflect the restless, inventive mind of its author. Budding computer-science majors, Apple aficionados and electronics buffs will find plenty to ingest here, as Wozniak recounts the inspirations and thought processes for his designs."
(10/01/2006)

'...IWOZ...reads like a cross-country trip in the story seat, an endless bedtime story. And with the exception of a few lengthy technical tutorials...that rambling story is indeed fascinating, even gripping in its own odd way."
(12/01/2007)