{"title":"Books by Walter Isaacson","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780349140438","title":"Steve Jobs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This is a riveting book, with as much to say about the transformation of modern life in the information age as about its supernaturally gifted and driven subject' - \u003ci\u003eTelegraph \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years - as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues - this is the acclaimed, internationally bestselling biography of the ultimate icon of inventiveness. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWalter Isaacson tells the story of the rollercoaster life and searingly intense personality of creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies,music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written, nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against.   His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201676214450,"sku":"9780349140438","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780349140438.jpg?v=1786013393"},{"product_id":"9781398518605","title":"The Code Breaker","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe best-selling author of \u003ci\u003eLeonardo da Vinci\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSteve Jobs\u003c\/i\u003e returns.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2012, Nobel Prize winning scientist Jennifer Doudna hit upon an invention that will transform the future of the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnown as CRISPR, it opened a brave new world of medical miracles and moral questions. It has already been deployed to cure deadly diseases, fight the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, and make inheritable changes in the genes of babies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut what does that mean for humanity? Should we be hacking our own DNA to make us less susceptible to disease? Should we democratise the technology that would allow parents to enhance their kids?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter discovering this CRISPR, Doudna is now wrestling these even bigger issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE CODE BREAKERS\u003c\/i\u003e is an examination of how life as we know it is about to change – and a brilliant portrayal of the woman leading the way.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204173267122,"sku":"9781398518605","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398518605.jpg?v=1786019371"},{"product_id":"9781408703748","title":"Steve Jobs","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom bestselling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmark biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account of Jobs' professional and personal life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawn from three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted with Jobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs' family members, key colleagues from Apple and its competitors,\u003ci\u003e Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography \u003c\/i\u003eis the definitive portrait of the greatest innovator of his generation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204365123762,"sku":"9781408703748","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781408703748.jpg?v=1786019640"},{"product_id":"9781471138805","title":"Innovators","description":"Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovatorsis Walter Isaacson's story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and a guide to how innovation really works. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What talents allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their disruptive ideas into realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In his exciting saga, Isaacson begins with Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron's daughter, who pioneered computer programming in the 1840s. He then explores the fascinating personalities that created our current digital revolution, such as Vannevar Bush, Alan Turing, John von Neumann, J.C.R. Licklider, Doug Engelbart, Robert Noyce, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, Tim Berners-Lee and Larry Page. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is the story of how their minds worked and what made them so creative. It's also a narrative of how their ability to collaborate and master the art of teamwork made them even more creative. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For an era that seeks to foster innovation, creativity and teamwork, this book shows how they actually happen.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204443734194,"sku":"9781471138805","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781471138805.jpg?v=1786020909"},{"product_id":"9781471166785","title":"Leonardo Da Vinci","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestseller\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Walter Isaacson is not an art historian, he’s simply a lover of Leonardo, who manages to communicate the sheer joy of this remarkable man’\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooks of the Year - The Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He was history’s most creative genius. What secrets can he teach us?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Based on thousands of pages from \u003cb\u003eLeonardo da Vinci's\u003c\/b\u003e astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, \u003cb\u003eWalter Isaacson \u003c\/b\u003eweaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He produced the two most famous paintings in history, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Last Supper \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eand\u003cb\u003e the \u003ci\u003eMona Lisa\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, \u003cb\u003ehe pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry\u003c\/b\u003e. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVitruvian Man\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, made him history’s most creative genius.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e His creativity, like that of other great innovators, came from having wide-ranging passions. He peeled flesh off the faces of cadavers, drew the muscles that move the lips, and then painted history’s most memorable smile. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea, and produced illusions of changing perspectives in \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Last Supper\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. Isaacson also describes how Leonardo’s lifelong enthusiasm for staging theatrical productions informed his paintings and inventions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Leonardo’s delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. So, too, does his ease at being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times heretical. His life should remind us of the importance of instilling, both in ourselves and our children, not just received knowledge but a willingness to question it—to be imaginative and, like talented misfits and rebels in any era, to think different.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204459233458,"sku":"9781471166785","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781471166785_eb550fec-fff0-4a75-8e1e-6b4b1b5f23e6.jpg?v=1786020478"},{"product_id":"9781471167942","title":"Einstein","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe definitive, internationally bestselling biography of Albert Einstein from the author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Innovators\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSteve Jobs \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eand \u003ci\u003eBenjamin Franklin\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e**Now the basis of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eGenius, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003ethe ten-part National Geographic series on the life of Albert Einstein, starring the Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning actor Geoffrey Rush**\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e How did Einstein’s mind work? 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This new biography, the first since all of Einstein's papers have become available, is the fullest picture yet of one of the \u003cb\u003ekey figures of the twentieth century\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is the first full biography of Albert Einstein since all of his papers have become available -- \u003cb\u003ea fully realised portrait \u003c\/b\u003eof this extraordinary human being, and \u003cb\u003egreat genius\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for EINSTEIN by Walter Isaacson:-\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'YOU REALLY MUST READ THIS.' \u003cb\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'As pithy as Einstein himself.’ \u003cb\u003eNew Scientist \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘[A] brilliant biography, rich with newly available archival material.’ \u003cb\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Beautifully written, it renders the physics understandable.’ \u003cb\u003eSunday Telegraph \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Isaacson is excellent at explaining the science. 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In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin’s life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Walter Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the runaway apprentice who became, over the course of his eighty-four-year life, America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind \u003ci\u003ePoor Richard’s Almanac\u003c\/i\u003e and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation’s alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin’s amazing life, showing how he helped to forge the American national identity and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43399433748658,"sku":"9780743258074","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780743258074_e360127f-fb13-445d-99c0-5d0cb2f66e4e.jpg?v=1786014867"},{"product_id":"9781398527539","title":"Elon Musk","description":"\u003cb\u003e#1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e non-fiction bestseller\u003cbr\u003e #2 \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e non-fiction bestseller\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE \u003ci\u003eFINANCIAL TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY APPLE, AMAZON, \u003ci\u003eTHE TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e AND \u003ci\u003eFINANCIAL TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWalter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk offers the most intimate, complete and revelatory portrait of the most fascinating and controversial innovator in the world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e For two years, Isaacson had unprecedented access to Musk, his workplaces, his family, friends, coworkers and adversaries – nothing was off-limits.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Musk’s journey from humble beginnings to one of the wealthiest people on the planet is a thrilling, mind-bending story and nobody could tell it better. Filled with amazing tales of triumph and turmoil, and lessons about leadership and business, it ultimately addresses the question everyone wants to ask: why is Elon Musk so successful?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This book includes over 100 integrated black and white images.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54926494794101,"sku":"9781398527539","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398527539_424409a8-8976-4e56-a774-15783fd52bf3.jpg?v=1786019718"},{"product_id":"9781982181314","title":"The Greatest Sentence Ever Written","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmerica’s bestselling biographer reveals the origins of the most revolutionary sentence in the Declaration of Independence, the one that defines who we are as Americans—and explains how it should shape our politics today.\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful sentences: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eDrafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIsaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. 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Her groundbreaking work led to life-saving applications, most notably treatments for cancer that are still being used. But these practical payoffs were not what motivated her. Instead, her career is a testament to the value of curiosity for its own sake.   Curie became an icon, put on pedestals and placed in the Pantheon. Isaacson goes behind the symbol by studying her hundreds of notebook pages and letters, still so radioactive that you must wear gloves and sign a waiver before handling them, to see how her mind worked and what motivated her.   She was a person who refused to be constrained. As a woman, she was not allowed to go to university in her native Poland, so she moved to Paris penniless and became the first woman to get a doctorate from the Sorbonne. After reaching the heights of scientific glory, she endured a fall from grace because of an affair with the favorite student of her late husband, which became a page-one scandal the same week she won her second Nobel. The Nobel authorities told her it would be best if she did not come to accept the prize, but she defied them. Then, emitting energy from deep inside herself, she achieved a comeback through her work and wartime service.   This book provides a welcome dose of inspiration at a time when we are faced with new fire-of-the-gods technologies, notably gene editing and artificial intelligence. In grappling with them, we should be guided by the moral compass of Curie. She was able to temper her audacity with humility, be guided by evidence rather than dogma, be curious rather than arrogant, and care deeply about friends and family, country and humanity. Like a child in a fairy tale, which is how she described herself, she did it all with a sense of wonder that allowed her to be humbled and awed by the cosmos in which she found herself.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57503695569269,"sku":"9781398543416","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-walter-isaacson.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}