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THE WINNING HABITS OF STEVE JOBS by Robert M.  Toguchi

THE WINNING HABITS OF STEVE JOBS

by Robert M. Toguchi

Pub Date: May 3rd, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5320-2205-0
Publisher: iUniverse

A motivational business book focuses on the career of computer industry icon Steve Jobs.

“What does it take to make it to the top?” Toguchi (co-author: Land Warfare in the Information Age, 2004) asks in this work, centering his narrative on “one remarkable individual who relied upon his skills, habits, and behaviors to achieve success.” Of that list, the item to which the author devotes the bulk of his attention is habits, which he views as the keystone of both life and success. “Habits prepare entrepreneurs for the storm,” he writes, mapping his study of the intricacies of habits onto the biography of Jobs and his lifetime of innovation. Toguchi takes readers through the well-known stages of Jobs’ career at Apple, outside of Apple, and then back at Apple, and he touches on the setbacks the visionary encountered, including the cancer that eventually claimed his life. Toguchi deftly draws on these biographical details in order to draw morals that are unfailingly upbeat: “You can overcome the difficulties of life with the right attitude and perseverance,” he writes, pointing out that Jobs had a remarkable ability to identify significant features and see a clear path to achieving his design concepts—whether or not that road aligned with the advice of the professionals around him. “In solving his problems, Steve Jobs did not rely on marketing surveys to steer his choices for consumers,” Toguchi writes. Instead, the entrepreneur trusted in his “own intuition and gut instincts.” Readers will find the author a lively, engaging counselor, although the more familiar they are with the history and nature of Jobs, the less they might believe some of Toguchi’s assessments, including that the magnate epitomized the kind of individual who “exuded a positive attitude” and that he “developed the habit of making a great first impression.” Jobs’ many enemies would laugh at such comments, but even skeptics should appreciate the optimistic spirit of the author’s conclusions.

An innovative view of personal empowerment seen through the lens of a technology pioneer’s life.