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Steve Jobs Refused Cancer Surgery For 9 Months, Other Tidbits From New Bio

Garth Johnston

Published Oct 21, 2011

Modified Oct 21, 2011

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Garth Johnston

Published Oct 21, 2011

Modified Oct 21, 2011

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Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs, hits stores on Monday so naturally an avalanche of details are preceding the rollout, culminating in a 60 Minutes segment on Sunday that will include actual recordings of the late Apple leader culled from the nearly 40 interviews Isaacson conducted. But no reason to wait, we've got some of the more interesting tidbits for you already:

Jobs refused to allow surgeons to operate on his pancreatic cancer for nine months before relenting to pressure from family and friends and going under the knife. "I didn't want my body to be opened...I didn't want to be violated in that way," he said though he also admitted to regretting his decision to try holistic methods first.

Once he did go under the knife, though, Jobs micromanaged his care as he micromanaged the rest of his life. "Studying, guiding and deciding on each treatment. Mr. Isaacson said Mr. Jobs made the final decision on each new treatment regimen."
Oh, and he also had the genes of his DNA (and that of his cancer tumor) sequenced to the tune of $100,000. Y'know, as one does.
Romantically, Jobs was something of a tough nut to crack. For instance, regarding this wife Laurene Powell? "On the first day of 1990, he proposed, and never mentioned it again for months. In September, exasperated, she moved out. The next month, Mr. Isaacson writes, he gave her a diamond engagement ring, and she moved back in. Eventually they married."
Jobs, who was adopted, actually met the man who turned out to be his biological father before he knew who he was.
Yep, Jobs really was pissed when Google went and released Android. To wit: "Our lawsuit is saying, 'Google you fucking ripped off the iPhone, wholesale ripped us off,'" Jobs said, according to Isaacson. "I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product."
Before he died Jobs called a number of his contemporaries to his house for chats, which included spending a three-hour session reminiscing with Bill Gates.
Interestingly, for a man who made such conspicuously consumable products, Jobs had disdain for conspicuous consumption, telling Isaacson how "he saw Apple staffers turn into "bizarro people" by the riches the Apple stock offering created. Isaacson says Jobs vowed never to let his wealth change him."
But that didn't mean he wasn't hard at work on a luxury yacht that included 40-foot-long glass walls.

Tagged

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cancer

Steve Jobs

walter isaacson

Garth Johnston

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