Walter Isaacson's much-anticipated biography of Steve Jobs is set to hit shelves Monday, but it's no surprise that some of the book's best soundbites are already leaking out. The AP landed itself a copy, and it's given the Internet a sneak peek — from the late Jobs' account of delaying surgery to treat his cancer to his heated rivalry with Google Android.
These five leaked quotes paint a portrait of a creative, complicated, and strong-willed visionary—an impression which is no doubt fleshed out in Isaacson's book (published by Simon & Schuster; $35).
1. Jobs on delaying surgery for nine months in favor of acupuncture, herbal remedies, and a vegan diet:
"I really didn't want them to open up my body, so I tried to see if a few other things would work." (Isaacson adds that Jobs later voiced regret for not opting for surgery earlier.)
2. Jobs on suing Google for releasing an HTC smartphone with similar features to the iPhone:
"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. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this."
3. Jobs on Google CEO Eric Schmidt's unsuccessful attempt to settle Apple's lawsuit against Android:
"I don't want your money. If you offer me $5 billion, I won't want it. I've got plenty of money. I want you to stop using our ideas in Android, that's all I want."
4. Jobs on the naming of Apple:
"[I] was on one of my fruitarian diets."
5. Jobs on the legacy of his company:
"Hewlett and Packard built a great company, and they thought they had left it in good hands. But now it's being dismembered and destroyed. I hope I've left a stronger legacy so that will never happen at Apple."
via the AP
