in 2004, jobs asked walter isaacson, a former editor of time magazine, if he would write his biography. isaacson thought the request premature since jobs was still a young man. what he didn't know at the time, and only a few people did, was that jobs was about to undergo surgery for pancreatic cancer and was feeling his mortality. in 2009, with jobs already gravely ill, isaacson began the first of more than 40 interviews with him, the last being conducted a few weeks before his death. as steve kroft first reported in october 2011, the result was the best-selling book of the year. >> when walter isaacson first began working on the book-- which is published by simon & schuster, a division of cbs--steve jobs' wife, laurene powell, told him, "be honest with his failings as well as his strengths. there are parts of his life and his personality that are extremely messy; you shouldn't whitewash it. i'd like to see that it's all told truthfully." >> he's not warm and fuzzy, you know? >> and to do it, isaacson interviewed more than 100 people--jobs' friends, family, coworkers, and competitor. i

. >> host: walter isaacson to my new book coming out this fall. what is it about? >> guest: innovative spirit we talk a lot about innovation these days. the word is almost becomes of the void of meeting through overuse. i wanted to look at how real people into the computer and internet adelle innovation really happened in the digital age. was something that came out of working with steve jobs and before that bill gates to say who made that type of person, how did they end up being successful? so the book is not just about singular people but about teams, but collaboration. one of the things that i discovered in doing this book is that real innovation comes from great teams, not just for a great leaders. >> host: would it surprise you? >> guest: the importance of connecting the arts to topology. the importance of the liberal arts and the engineering. it begins with a lovely suit is father was a great poet lord byron to of lord byron. she loved poetry to but her mother wanted to be a mathematician. she became of greek mathematician. by the end she is able to combine

. >> guest: walter isaacson you have a new book coming out this fall. what's it about? >> guest: we have talked about innovation and the word has almost become devoid of meaning. he gets overused. i want to look at how real people invented the computer and the internet and how innovation really happens in the usual way. it was something that came out of working with steve jobs and before that bill gates to say who made that type of process and how did they end up being successful? the book is not just about singular people about teams, but collaboration. it's one of the things i discovered in doing this book their real innovation comes in great teams not just great leaders. >> host: was surprised to? what to do when a surprise to price to? >> guest: the importance of connecting technology. the importance of like steve jobs talks about the liberal arts and engineering and it begins with ada whose father was a great poet lord byron. she loves poetry but her mother wanted to be a mathematician. by the end she was able to combine the ocean of poetry and the notion of math t

[applause] >> walter isaacson then what did john your reading list? >> what is the the hillary clinton -- tim geithner and i did those one on my ipad but, new book is justice minister will go back santry read a couple of assessment of lot to me one of them was the moviegoer. that was by my bet right now >> i in the executive board director for the simon & schuster imprint so i oversee and design the imprint and there are all different types. >> host: you do the covers of books? what goes into a cover of the book? >> usually from the editor we find out what the of book is about. it is a manuscript. and you get a flavor of what the voice of the author is. and from that we have the discussion and the author do they have a preconceived notion is of what they're looking for? it is so is good to hear that from. you get a sense of of a six. and then what that would be facing. >> host: started with senator web i heard my country calling. how did this develop? >> this is straightforward it is a story of his and his father's years and and we knew with these pho

walter isaacson, scott cowen, congratulations. >> you know your husband used to play clarinet in new. but not nearly as well as the musicians who went on to greatness in new orleans. the great legacy of music in that great city. scott cowen, i was just going to congratulate you on a great career at tulane. wonderful institution. >> and a wonderful book. >> thank you very much. i have to say one of the things that's happened in my personal and professional life was moving to new orleans in the 1990s. and being part of katrina. i wish it hadn't happened, but i feel blessed i was there during that period of time. >> the book is the inevitable city. thank you both so much. great to be with you. >>> perhaps president obama said it best at thursday's briefing. >> i'm going to start with somebody who i guess is now a big cheese. he's moved on. >> the big cheese, our own chuck todd has spent more than four years giving us great political insight right here an msnbc. even some top secret white house information on one particular side dish. >> split pea. a lot of us would like to be splitting

and in walter isaacson's biography -- where's the apple tv? >> apple tv is doing well, although there are numbers -- >> i don't mean the little apple tv. i mean the television from apple. >> you know, all of my sources, everybody says it's coming. they're great -- >> sir walter isaacson said it was steve jobs' last big push. >> the problem with a big connected tv is that it's a lot of glass. it's a lot of stuff they don't necessarily control. i think -- i can't tell you that it's actually coming up with everybody that i talk to -- but everybody i talk to says it is. i know, for example, someone who worked closely in the cable industry now has a top engineering role in their tv department. i can't say who that is. and i -- i know he works on various stuff. >> what i think is most exciting about so much of what's happening now is that it's no longer just the big stars that go on television and maybe belong it a studio or something that can get an audience and can make content. twitch sold to amazon for about $1 billion. >> yes. >> and that's reg

. >> host: walter isaacson to my new book coming out this fall. what is it about? >> guest: innovative spirit we talk a lot about innovation these days. the word is almost becomes of the void of meeting through overuse. i wanted to look at how real people into the computer and internet adelle innovation really happened in the digital age. was something that came out of working with steve jobs and before that bill gates to say who made that type of person, how did they end up being successful? so the book is not just about singular people but about teams, but collaboration. one of the things that i discovered in doing this book is that real innovation comes from great teams, not just for a great leaders. >> host: would it surprise you? >> guest: the importance

[cheers and applause] >> when steve jobs handpicked walter isaacson to write his life story, he had alreadyagnosed with cancer, but after 40 interviews, the biography provides a vivid picture of a complicated man. >> i think it's a tough book. >> it's a book that's fair. i mean, this is a real human being. >> you will hear tape recordings of jobs himself talking about being adopted, creating apple, and his regret over ignoring what could have been life-saving cancer surgery.

. >> host: does a walter isaacson or henry -- automatically get books? >> guest: absolutely. >> host: what kind of marketing strategy goes into selling a book? >> guest: with walter isaacson he has his own best supporter and champion because he is such a great storyteller so whenever we can we try to have him speak with our customers. he has come into the office to do barnes & noble booksellers with us. he definitely really helps us. he's our best weapon in selling his books. >> host: how do you sell a first-time author? >> guest: it's all in the reading. we try to read early and champion it and give to the bookseller away. the package plays a big part. the bookseller bookseller looks at it and if it's a package that will jump off the shelf and they think the customer will respond to it that also plays a big part as well as the marketing and what kind of readers we have lined up for it and if the author is touring that helps as well. >> host: what percentage of revenues come from digital? >> guest: it depends, x. approximately 28 to 30% however on many b

i want to thank bob steel and walter isaacson for their leadership at the aspen institute. [applause] as bob said, we are extraordinarily fortunate to have two great secretaries of state, madeleine albright and condoleezza rice. the third person will arrive. i spoke to him by phone. his plane was diverted. he had to drive in. i said we would filibuster until he arrived. one way to do that is to say a word about our aspen strategy group. we are a unique institution, i think, in the american foreign-policy because we are nonpartisan. not just bipartisan. we are republicans, democrats, and independents come together once a year. we are in our 30th year. we were founded by two great americans. the general who is not here right now but will be here in a couple of hours and professor joe nye. i would ask you to salute joe. maybe you can stand. [applause] we are going to be discussing russia over the next 3.5 days. there is nothing to talk about, u.s.-russian relationships these days but everything to talk about. as we await bob's arrival, we might talk about the issue that united

then decided against the state like as if she knew that. >> let's get back to our guest host, walter isaacsonr of a new book coming out in october, "the innovators," how digital hackers and geeks started the computer revolution. walter, welcome. >> thanks for having me back. >> the book is out for real, we hope to have you back. i've read it. it's a great story about all sorts of people none of us at least had no idea about. >> it's amazing to me the internet computer two most important inventions of our time. people like yourself, we don't really foe whoible vented them. it was sort of this wonderful collaborative magical process of really cool people. >> here's what i want you to help us with. if you were to write this book 25 years from now and you were to look at the current crop of innovators, if you will, who stands out to you as sort of the top of that list? >> first you have to look at the big plans, which are mobile, social. i think the ability to crowd source and collaborate and do that sort of interactive type of collaboration. i think, obviously, the google people are still leadin

. >> guest: walter isaacson you have a new book coming out this fall. what's it about?>> guest: we have talked about innovation and the word has almost become devoid of meaning. he gets overused. i want to look at how real people invented the computer and the internet and how innovation really happens in the usual way. it was something that came out of working with steve jobs and before that bill gates to say

>> i am eager to read walter isaacsons new book innovators. and john alters book called the center hold just approveed and that is good news always. i am in the middle of reading ariana huffington's book thrive. and i am very eager to read hilary clinton's memoir. i am happy she used that title because i wrote a book on her called hillary's choice and that was to stay with bill clinton and hook her star to his wagon. she helped cultivate and shape a president so i cannot wait to read her book. >> what are you reading this summer? >> tell us what is on your summer reading list. tweet us, post it to our facebook page or e-mail us at booktv@cspan.org >> up next, we lay out the problems in the obama administration with ben shaprino. >> i have been gone so long many of you have forgotten who i am. this is the production of the david harwitz center. briefly, what happened to me was my foot was paralyzed. i wish i could say it was from kicking james carville or sandra flute. but it was a botched hip operation. be careful when you have them. you have

and then to talk about nonfiction than there is walter isaacson the list of nonfiction catalog is wind blowing. >> host: do authors like to do publicity? >> some more than others. >> some come to play some come to work. is the most fun for us to have creativity and humor about it. somebody once asked me how do publicity for a man by christopher hichens? you get out of his way. >> host: how to describe the health of the publishing industry? it is better health and for some time. the tavis say there was a certain amount of fear and preservation but it has added new capabilities but they used to chad to consumers. and that is our watershed change from no longer always from a third-party to communicate directly and constantly with consumers. i think digital transformation now that we have had enough to feel confident that we can respond it has given whole new energy to publishing. >> and then on the marketing side of that a website dedicated to the book or the facebook page or promotional videos. we have very much the digital marketing role and so many people are watching and so many care.

[laughter] [applause] >> walter isaacson then what did john your reading list? >> what is the the hillary clinton -- tim geithner and i did those one on my ipad but, new book is justice minister will go back santry read a couple of assessment of lot to me one of them was the moviegoer. that was by my bet right now

tomorrow, senator chris murphy, adam schiff, scott coen and walter isaacson.low the show online and on facebook and on twitter @mitchellreports. "ronan farrow daily" is here next. i'm type e. my golden years will not just be gold plated. i had 3 different 401(k)s. e*trade offers rollover options and a retirement planning calculator. now i know "when" i'm going to retire. not "if." hey, i notice your car yeah. it's in the shop. it's going to cost me an arm and a leg. you shoulda taken it to midas. they tell you what stuff needs fixing, and what stuff can wait. high-five! arg! brakes, tires, oil, everything. (whistling) mom usually throws a gogurt in there. well mom's not here today so we're doing things dad's way. which means i get... two. (singing) snack time and lunch. (singing) snack time and lunch. gogurt because lunch needs some fun. (vo) ours is a world of the red-eyes. (daughter) i'm really tired. (vo) the transfers. well, that's kid number three. (vo) the co-pilots. all sitting... ...trusting... ...waiting... ...for a safe arrival. introducing the all-n

. >> host: a quick preview of walter isaacson fall 2014 book "the innovators: how a group of inventors, hackers, and geeks created the digital revolution". you are watching book tv on c-span2. tv for serious readers. .. >> good afternoon. welcome to the the heritage foundationing and our lewis lehrman auditorium. we welcome those joining us on c-span in the future on booktv. we would ask everyone here in house if you'll be so kind to make sure cell phones are turned off as we prepare to begin, and our program will be posted on the heritage home page following our presentation for your reference as well, and internet viewers are welcome to e-mail speaker@heritage.org. hosting our discussion today on behalf of heritage is our senior policy analyst for defense budgeting for foreign and national security policy. she is familiar with both u.s. defense platforms, government contracting practices and brings her expertise to matters of defense hardware investment. before joining heritage, she worked at the washington, d.c. headquarters of avasent group, later becoming manager of an analytics f

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i want to thank bob steel and walter isaacson for their leadership at the aspen institute. [applause] as bob said, we are extraordinarily fortunate to have two great secretaries of state, madeleine albright and condoleezza rice. the third person will arrive. i spoke to him by phone. his plane was diverted. he had to drive in. i said we would filibuster until he arrived. one way to do that is to say a word about our aspen strategy group. we are a unique institution, i think, in the american foreign-policy because we are nonpartisan. not just bipartisan. we are republicans, democrats, and independents come together once a year. we have dialects with the chinese, indian, and the brazilian leadership. we are in our 30th year. we were founded by two great americans. , who isbrent scowcroft not here right now but will be here in a couple of hours and professor joe nye. i would ask you to salute joe. maybe you can stand. [applause] we are going to be discussing russia over the next 3.5 days. there is nothing to talk about, u.s.-russian relationships these days, but everything to t