Jobs attended Reed College in
Oregon.
of attention. He’d walk into a room
and you would instantly notice him.
Steve was the absolute opposite when
he came to Reed. After he spent time
with Robert, some of it started to rub
off. 22
Searching for the
Meaning of Life
Friedland also inspired Steve in his
quest for enlightenment. Indeed, before
coming to Reed, Friedland had spent
time in jail for possession of LSD. He
had experimented with the drug as part
of his own quest for enlightenment.
Steve conducted his search for
enlightenment with the same intensity
as he had conducted his electronic proj-
ects. He studied Eastern religions and
became a Zen Buddhist, a religion he
continues to practice. He tried meditat-
ing, experimented with sleep deprivation, and studied the link
between diet and physical and spiritual health. He experimented
with fasting and different diets, and campaigned for his friends
to join him on whatever diet he was currently following. At one
point, his diet consisted mainly of carrots. He ate so many that
his skin turned orange. He then became a fruitarian and took to
showering infrequently. He believed his diet would keep his body
clean. “I still believe man is a fruitarian,” he told writer Michael
Moritz years later. “Of course, back then I got into it in my typi-
cally nutso way.” 23 Eventually, he became a vegetarian and has
followed that diet throughout his life.
Searching for Answers
29