Chapter 1
A Difficult Start
O
n February 24, 1955, an unwed University of California,
Berkeley, student gave birth to a baby boy. She decided to
put the baby up for adoption. Paul and Clara Jobs, a machin-
ist and a school secretary, adopted the infant and named him
Steven Paul Jobs. Three years later the couple adopted Steve’s
sister, Patty.
The family lived in San Francisco until Steve was five-years-
old. Then they moved to Mountain View, California. It is located
in what came to be known as the Silicon Valley, the U.S. capital
of technology.
A Willful Child
From the beginning, Steve was a handful. Even at a young age
he demonstrated the intensity, strength of will, and desire to set
the rules that he would later become known for. For example,
as a toddler he woke up at 4 A . M . every morning ready to play.
Although his parents repeatedly ordered him to go back to bed,
he refused. Realizing it was futile to fight the headstrong child,
the Jobses bought him a rocking horse and record player stocked
with rock and roll records. This kept him entertained, while the
rest of the family slept.
On other occasions his willfulness got him into trouble. For
13