Read Like Steve Jobs: 8 Books that Inspired Apple’s Co-founder
“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.” — Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was a man driven by passion and purpose, but beyond his genius for creating innovative technology, he drew inspiration from a wide array of books that shaped his thinking, leadership, and creativity.
Here’s a look at the books that deeply influenced him.
1. Be Here Now by Ram Dass
(4.34/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: A 1960s spiritual guide blending yoga, meditation, and psychedelia, it inspired Jobs during his search for meaning, teaching the importance of living fully in the present.
Steve’s take:
“It was profound. It transformed me and many of my friends.”
2. The Whole Earth Catalog by Stewart Brand, ed.
(4.31/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: An eclectic compendium of tools and ideas that blended creativity and innovation, it became a manual for merging technology with the liberal arts.
Steve’s take:
“…an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation… It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along. It was idealistic and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.”
3. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
(4.25/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: A spiritual classic that profoundly impacted Jobs’ worldview, emphasizing self-realization and intuition, which influenced Apple’s simple, Zen-like design.
Steve’s take:
“There was a copy there of Autobiography of a Yogi in English that a previous traveler had left, and I read it several times.”
4. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
(4.22/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: This book helped Jobs embrace a “beginner’s mind,” encouraging openness and mindfulness, which he applied in both leadership and Apple’s design ethos.
Steve’s take:
“Zen has been a deep influence in my life ever since… [At one point] I was thinking about going to Japan and trying to get into the Eihei-ji monastery.”
5. Prof. Arnold Ehret’s Mucusless Diet Healing System by Arnold Ehret
(4.14/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: Advocating for a plant-based diet and fasting, the book influenced Jobs to experiment with extreme diets in pursuit of clarity and higher energy.
Steve’s take:
“[After reading this book] I got into [intermittent juice fasting] in my typical nutso way.”
6. The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
(4.05/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: The book’s analysis of how successful companies can fail by sticking to old products reinforced Jobs’ philosophy of self-disruption and continuous innovation.
Steve’s take:
“It’s important that we make this transformation, because of what Clayton Christensen calls ‘the innovator’s dilemma,’ where people who invent something are usually the last ones to see past it, and we certainly don’t want to be left behind.”
7. Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé
(3.97/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: The book helped Jobs embrace vegetarianism and sustainable living, aligning with his Buddhist values and desire to rethink consumption.
Steve’s take:
“[After reading this book] is when I pretty much swore off meat for good.”
8. King Lear by William Shakespeare
(3.90/5 ⭐️)
Why it mattered to Jobs: Captivated by its themes of pride and downfall, Jobs drew leadership lessons from this Shakespearean tragedy, reflecting on his own journey.
Steve’s take:
“I started to listen to music a whole lot, and I started to read more outside of just science and technology — Shakespeare, Plato. I loved King Lear.”
Jobs’ recommended reads continue to enlighten new generations — reminding us to stay hungry for knowledge, stay foolish enough to think differently, and to integrate the spiritual and the practical in pursuit of our own creative revolutions.
The quotes and anecdotes are drawn from reliable biographies and interviews, including Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs, Jobs’ Stanford commencement address, and recollections by friends and colleagues.
