How much would you pay for the new biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson?
A British website reports that a Russian translation in a digital app form is now selling for £4.99. That translates to $7.77. In Britain, the e-book version of the biography sells for £12.99, which translates to $20.24. In comparison, the hardcover version of the book “Steve Jobs” is selling for $17.49 on Amazon.com. Amazon.com is also selling the version for Kindle for $14.99.
“We’re not all that au fait with international publishing laws, but this smacks of a high-up licensing problem to us,” reports the Electricpig, a UK-based site that reports on technology and gadgets.
It could also be a mistake in pricing, the website speculates. Or maybe not.
“Whatever the case, if you do speak the mother tongue and want to read up on Steve Jobs’ momentous life, you can now do so for a lot cheaper than the rest of us,” says Electricpig about the Russian version found on the digital app.
Jobs died in October, after a battle with cancer. He was chairman and CEO of Apple, a company he co-founded and led, TechZone360 said.
Meanwhile, the official biography of Jobs has gotten a lot of praises. For example, “Steve Jobs” gives “insight into the man who changed the world of technology. The biography, commissioned by Jobs shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, is a frank look at the visionary’s work and personal life,” comments The Hindustan Times.
In its review, The New York Times said that the book “offers a combination of tech criticism and promotional hype.”
“But if the individual bits of hoopla seem excessive, their cumulative effect is staggering,” The Times adds. "Here is an encyclopedic survey of all that Mr. Jobs accomplished, replete with the passion and excitement that it deserves.”
In researching the book, Isaacson had over 40 interviews with Jobs – spanning some two years. Isaacson is the CEO of the Aspen Institute, was chairman of CNN, the managing editor of Time magazine, and has written several biographies.
Ed Silverstein is a TechZone360 contributor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves