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Every book Brad Wardell recommended on podcasts
Brad Wardell discussed Walter Isaacson’s biography Steve Jobs during multiple appearances on Freakonomics Radio, explaining how the book deeply influenced his life and career. Wardell, the founder and CEO of the software and computer game company Stardock, shared that he read the biography practically the day it was released. He recounted specific stories from the book, such as Jobs’s blunt and harsh treatment of employees who fell short of expectations, noting that while he was never quite as severe, he could relate to the intensity. Wardell revealed that reading about Jobs's management style acted as a catalyst rather than an endorsement. Instead of inspiring him to emulate Jobs, the biography served as a stark warning and the last straw that prompted him to fundamentally change his work habits, prioritize his family, and spend more quality time with his three children, effectively teaching him through Jobs's example on how not to behave.
Books recommended by Brad Wardell
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Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is an acclaimed biography that chronicles the tumultuous life, visionary innovations, and relentless drive of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs through extensive interviews with the subject and those who knew him.
Discussed“One of the stories in the book has to do with he would go over and see what's going on on someone's computer and just say, that's total crap. You should be fired. And I was never quite that harsh.”
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Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy of a Jerk (Rebroadcast) | Freakonomics Radio | 2013-06-27 | 2 |
| 84. Legacy of a Jerk | Freakonomics Radio | 2012-07-18 | 3 |