Apple is turning 50. David Pogue’s new book tells its history.

From the first home computers to the smartphone revolution, Steve Jobs was a guiding force in the worldwide electronics industry. His innovations, his obsessions, and even his shortcomings impacted the way we use computers today. To understand Jobs’s life is to understand why the modern information landscape functions the way it does.

Walter Isaacson’s biography is considered to be the definitive work on Steve Jobs’s life. He was given full access to Jobs and those who knew him with no limitations on what he might uncover. The result is an intimate portrait of a man who was thoughtful and callous, insightful and blind, and whose passions left a mark on the world.

This guide gives an overview of Steve Jobs’s life, then explores the themes that emerge from Isaacson’s narrative—Jobs’s knack for innovation and his emphasis on design, coupled with a domineering personality and his will to reshape reality to his liking.

Bill Gates is renowned as a businessman, software developer, and pioneer of the computer revolution. At age 19, he founded Microsoft, which he would build into one of the world’s largest tech companies. But how did Gates become the man he is today? What experiences led him to stake his first claim on the home computing landscape at such an early age?

In Source Code, Gates describes his formative years from his childhood in Seattle to the founding of Microsoft. In it, he reflects on the people, events, and sheer luck that made him a key figure in the computing world. In this guide, we’ll also look at the personal roles Gates explored during his adolescence and the impact they had on his growth. Additionally, we’ll put the events of Gates’s life in their historical context, and we’ll analyze Gates’s recollections through the lens of childhood development, education, psychology, and identity formation.

From the first home computers to the smartphone revolution, Steve Jobs was a guiding force in the worldwide electronics industry. His innovations, his obsessions, and even his shortcomings impacted the way we use computers today. To understand Jobs’s life is to understand why the modern information landscape functions the way it does.

Walter Isaacson’s biography is considered to be the definitive work on Steve Jobs’s life. He was given full access to Jobs and those who knew him with no limitations on what he might uncover. The result is an intimate portrait of a man who was thoughtful and callous, insightful and blind, and whose passions left a mark on the world.

This guide gives an overview of Steve Jobs’s life, then explores the themes that emerge from Isaacson’s narrative—Jobs’s knack for innovation and his emphasis on design, coupled with a domineering personality and his will to reshape reality to his liking.

During the 2007-2008 financial crisis, even successful companies such as Starbucks struggled to stay afloat. The company's former CEO, Howard Schultz, recognized the decline and took charge once again in January 2008, determined to steer it back on track. In Onward (2012), Schultz highlights the obstacles he faced at a time of worldwide instability and explains how he managed to save the company while preserving its unique value.

In our summary, we’ll provide background on Starbucks' rise to the top of the global coffeehouse industry and the troubles it experienced leading up to the crisis in 2007. Then, we’ll explain the reasons Schultz came back as CEO and his strategies to make the transition as smooth as possible. Finally, we’ll discuss how Schultz revived the company by altering its corporate culture, improving the coffeehouse experience, and reinstating Starbucks’ commitment to uplifting humanity. In our commentary, we’ll delve into the financial crisis, provide context regarding the coffee industry, and offer insights on leadership and business management from various experts.

From the first home computers to the smartphone revolution, Steve Jobs was a guiding force in the worldwide electronics industry. His innovations, his obsessions, and even his shortcomings impacted the way we use computers today. To understand Jobs’s life is to understand why the modern information landscape functions the way it does.

Walter Isaacson’s biography is considered to be the definitive work on Steve Jobs’s life. He was given full access to Jobs and those who knew him with no limitations on what he might uncover. The result is an intimate portrait of a man who was thoughtful and callous, insightful and blind, and whose passions left a mark on the world.

This guide gives an overview of Steve Jobs’s life, then explores the themes that emerge from Isaacson’s narrative—Jobs’s knack for innovation and his emphasis on design, coupled with a domineering personality and his will to reshape reality to his liking.

Many enterprises come and go, but visionary companies endure for generations. These companies are the gold standard in their respective industries, remaining prosperous throughout many decades and at the hands of many different leaders. Beyond attaining financial success, they’ve also become household names, ingraining themselves into our collective psyche—it’s hard to imagine a world without them or their products, from Band-Aids to Post-it Notes to Mickey Mouse.

But what is the key to these companies’ longevity and tremendous success? Bestselling author Jim Collins and Stanford professor Jerry I. Porras embarked on a six-year research project to answer this question. In this book, you’ll find the fruits of their research, learn the important concepts behind enduring success, and get practical advice for building a company that lasts.

From the first home computers to the smartphone revolution, Steve Jobs was a guiding force in the worldwide electronics industry. His innovations, his obsessions, and even his shortcomings impacted the way we use computers today. To understand Jobs’s life is to understand why the modern information landscape functions the way it does.

Walter Isaacson’s biography is considered to be the definitive work on Steve Jobs’s life. He was given full access to Jobs and those who knew him with no limitations on what he might uncover. The result is an intimate portrait of a man who was thoughtful and callous, insightful and blind, and whose passions left a mark on the world.

This guide gives an overview of Steve Jobs’s life, then explores the themes that emerge from Isaacson’s narrative—Jobs’s knack for innovation and his emphasis on design, coupled with a domineering personality and his will to reshape reality to his liking.

Most companies achieve success by responding to what their customers want and consistently pursuing higher profits. However, when confronting certain innovations, the strategies that help companies thrive under normal circumstances can instead lead to their demise.

According to Clayton M. Christensen, these kinds of innovations—called disruptive innovations—don’t come along very often, but when they do, they change how companies make and market products, the types of customers that buy them, and how they use them. The Innovator’s Dilemma explains how to recognize disruptive innovations, why they cause industry-leading organizations to fail, and how to avoid the same fate. In this guide, we’ll lay out Christensen’s ideas and explore how they compare to those of other business and management experts who also advise on how to navigate innovative changes.