Writing
I am writing a book called My Teacher Steve Jobs. It is the story of how I came to know Steve Jobs when I was 18 and how he became one of the greatest teachers of my lifetime.
Steve learned early on that life can become limitless if we are open to seeing things differently: From a place beyond thought and ideas. And if we can listen with an open heart to the wisdom that lies deep within each of us, of life itself. By the time I had met Steve in 1981, he already knew that his life would end prematurely. This awareness gave him a profound sense of urgency in everything he did. He was meticulous in reflecting on each moment of his life and purposefully choosing how best to use every moment.
My Teacher Steve Jobs is a collection of short stories, each 3-8 pages. Each story begins in the midst of an instructive moment in Steve’s life, my life or time we spent together. Each story can stand on its own, separate from the rest of the book.
Together, the stories take readers on a riveting, 31-year journey (from 1981 to 2012) into the heart, mind and inner world of one of the greatest visionaries in the history of business. It is a journey that I believe will change the lives of everyone who reads it.
The stories of My Teacher Steve Jobs unfold on three levels:
-
As an intimate, emotional memoir. The stories recreate wild experiences I had with Steve where he inspired me to do things I would have never believed possible. Struggling with my own anxieties, Steve taught me about fearlessness. I learned from him to be less of a slave to fear or conventional wisdom, and to listen to a subtler, quiet intuition.
-
As a revolutionary book about leadership. Steve developed ways of leading that cannot be explained by conventional Western theories about management or leadership. He was the first CEO in history to bring a deep awareness of Eastern wisdom teachings to Western capitalism. Steve’s insights into leadership hold vast lessons for how to build more effective institutions and how we can each discover our own unique greatness as leaders.
-
As a spiritual journey into a realm of awareness unknown to most westerners. Steve started on this journey as a teenager drawn to Eastern mysticism. His exploration gave him a vision and prescience unlike anyone in modern business. Steve launched me on my own 20-year spiritual journey; a journey that continues to unfold today.
The three levels join together in the final part of the book, becoming an audacious manifesto for the future of the United States. The solutions to some of our most intractable problems—in business, government and civic society—are within our reach. To get there, we need to break out of our self-limiting ideas and assumptions, and become open to a realm of awareness and wisdom beyond thinking. Steve showed us that we have everything we need to work together; to evolve; and to help our country become everything we want it to be.
My Teacher Steve Jobs is represented by the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth literary agency.
Explore More about the Book:
Vignettes - My Teacher Steve Jobs. The book began as a series of Facebook postings in late 2011. These vignettes describe how I came to know Steve and why I believe he is one of the most misunderstood icons of our time. Once you understand what Steve was trying to do, you'll see him, his work, and his prickliness in a different way from what has been portrayed in the media.
Images - Steve Jobs in Boston. These images are from some of the times I spent with Steve in Boston. Every time I got together with him was wildly unpredictable and sometimes inexplicably mysterious
