New York, NY — First it was iSteve: The Book of Jobs. Then it became Steve Jobs.
But hold the presses. The title of the official Steve Jobs biography may change yet again — because the author and main character are not on the same page.
According to a source inside publisher Simon & Schuster, the book title debate between the Apple founder and famed biographer Walter Isaacson is beginning to feel more like a barroom brawl.
Walter thought iSteve was a laugh riot. Steve thought it was brain-dead and insignificant, so he suggested Steve Jobs. An irritated Walter thought that would work on a driver’s license, but not a literary masterpiece. And so the battle raged, title after title.
Aside from the two titles publicly known, four others have figured into the fight (see graphic above) — each of which has been favored by either Steve or Walter at one time or another.
Steve pushed hard for iGod, arguing that it accurately described his level of power and popularity, while avoiding the “Jesus” word that got John Lennon in trouble.
Isaacson dug in his heels for Steve’s Way or the Highway, claiming that it neatly summed up all of his experiences since he started contract negotiations.
As a result of the hostilities, Steve has now demanded that Isaacson write a new final chapter for the book describing the whole title fiasco. Further, he’s insisting that in the telling of this tale, Isaacson refer to himself as “that self-important smug little word monkey.”
Isaacson has agreed in principle, but is now searching for alternate names to call himself.
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