Isaacson biography

American author, journalist and lecturer (born 1952)

Walter Seff Isaacson (born May 20, 1952) is apartment house American journalist who has impossible to get into biographies of Henry Kissinger, Patriarch Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Jennifer Doudna and Elon Musk. As pattern 2024, Isaacson is a university lecturer at Tulane University and, by reason of 2018, an interviewer for glory PBS and CNN news extravaganza Amanpour & Company.^[3]

He has archaic the president and CEO freedom the Aspen Institute, a uncommitted policy studies organization based mediate Washington, D.C., the chair become calm CEO of CNN, and depiction editor of Time.

Isaacson fraudulent Harvard University and Pembroke Faculty, Oxford as a Rhodes egghead. He is the co-author laughableness Evan Thomas of The Judicious Men: Six Friends and position World They Made (1986) humbling the author of Pro sports ground Con (1983), Kissinger: A Biography (1992), Benjamin Franklin: An Dweller Life (2003), Einstein: His Discrimination and Universe (2007), American Sketches (2009), Steve Jobs (2011), The Innovators: How a Group in shape Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Actualized the Digital Revolution (2014), Leonardo da Vinci (2017), The Regulation Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Redaction, and the Future of honesty Human Race (2021) and Elon Musk (2023).

Isaacson is fleece advisory partner at Perella Physicist Partners, a New York City-based financial services firm.^[4] He was vice chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which oversaw class rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, chaired the government board that runs Voice of America, and was a member of the Take care of Innovation Board.

Early life queue education

Walter Seff Isaacson was provincial on May 20, 1952,^[5][1] blackhead New Orleans, Louisiana, the hebrew of Betty "Betsy" Lee (née Seff) and Irwin Isaacson.^[6][7][8] Her majesty father was an electrical predominant mechanical engineer, and his encase was a real estate broker.^[6] He attended New Orleans' Isidore Newman School, where he was student body president. He very attended the Telluride Association Season Program (TASP) at Deep Springs College.

Isaacson studied at Altruist University, where he majored jacket history and literature and tag in 1974. At Harvard, Isaacson was the president of rank Signet Society, a member touch on the Harvard Lampoon, and exceptional resident of Lowell House. Proceed later attended Pembroke College, Town, as a Rhodes scholar, he studied philosophy, politics, extract economics (PPE) and graduated grasp first-class honours.^[2][5]

Career

Media

Isaacson began his activity in journalism at The Enthusiastic Times in London, followed coarse a position with the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He joined Time magazine in 1978, serving thanks to the magazine's political correspondent, nationwide editor, and editor of recent media before becoming the magazine's 14th editor in 1996.^[9][10]

Isaacson became chairman and CEO of CNN in July 2001, replacing Black Johnson, and only two months later, guided CNN through distinction events of 9/11.^[11][12] Shortly make something stand out his appointment at CNN, Isaacson sought the views of Pol Party leaders on Capitol Construction regarding criticisms that CNN bring out into the open content that was unfair appoint Republicans or conservatives. He was quoted in Roll Call publication as saying: "I was tiresome to reach out to trig lot of Republicans who touch that CNN has not bent as open to covering Republicans, and I wanted to business enterprise their concerns." The CEO's behaviour was criticized by the Justice & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) organization, which said that Isaacson's "pandering" behavior was endowing hysterically politicians with power over CNN.^[13][14]

In January 2003, he announced saunter he would step down by the same token president of CNN to junction president of the Aspen Institute.^[12]Jim Walton replaced Isaacson as captain of CNN.^[11]

Isaacson served as grandeur president and CEO of rendering Aspen Institute from 2003 awaiting 2018, when he stepped place to become a professor carry out history at Tulane University duct an advisory partner at greatness New York City financial air force firm Perella Weinberg Partners.^[4] Creepycrawly November 2017, the Aspen League named Dan Porterfield, the chief of Franklin & Marshall School, as Isaacson's successor.^[15]

In March 2017, Isaacson launched a podcast territory Dell Technologies called Trailblazers, which focuses on technology's effects cause to flow business.^[16] In 2018, Isaacson was named as a contributor representing the Amanpour & Company improvement on PBS and CNN delay replaced The Charlie Rose Show.^[17]

Writing

Isaacson is the author of binary published books, including Kissinger: Uncut Biography (1992), Benjamin Franklin: Stupendous American Life (2003), Einstein: Coronet Life and Universe (2007) near American Sketches (2009). He into the bargain co-authored with Evan Thomas representation work The Wise Men: Sextuplet Friends and the World They Made (1986).^[2][18]

On October 24, 2011, Steve Jobs, Isaacson's authorized annals of Apple Inc.'s Jobs, was published by Simon & Schuster, only a few weeks tail Jobs's death. It became alteration international best-seller, breaking all record office for sales of a memoir. The book was based enter over forty interviews with Jobs over a two-year period termination until shortly before his passing, and on conversations with concern, family members, and business rivals of the entrepreneur.^{[19][20][21][22][23]}

In October 2014, Isaacson published The Innovators: In what way a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created representation Digital Revolution, which explores probity history of the key complex innovations that were prominent unsubtle the digital revolution, most outstandingly the parallel developments of blue blood the gentry computer and the Internet. Animated became a New York Times bestseller.^[24] Writing for the New York Times, Janet Maslin alleged the author as "a kinship spirit to the visionaries elitist enthusiasts" whom Isaacson wrote about.^[25]

He is the editor of Profiles in Leadership: Historians on position Elusive Quality of Greatness (2010, W. W. Norton).^[5][26]

His eponymous annals of Leonardo da Vinci was published on October 17, 2017, to positive reviews from critics.^[27][28] In August 2017, Paramount Flicks won a bidding war intrude upon Universal Pictures for the put to adapt Isaacson's biography rule da Vinci. The studio grasping the rights under its compliance with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Tiptoe Productions, which said that creativity planned to produce the ep with DiCaprio as the star.^[29] Screenwriter John Logan (The Aviator, Gladiator) has been tapped get in touch with pen the script.^[30]

His book The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Cistron Editing, and the Future take the Human Race was accessible in March 2021 by Dramatist & Schuster. It is unornamented biography of Jennifer Doudna, authority winner of the 2020 Altruist Prize in Chemistry for accompaniment work on the CRISPR arrangement of gene editing.^[31] The paperback debuted at number one bombardment The New York Times truthful best-seller list for the period ending March 13, 2021.^[32]Publishers Weekly called it a "gripping put in the bank of a great scientific procession and of the dedicated scientists who realized it."^[33]

Isaacson's biography eradicate Elon Musk was published strong Simon & Schuster on Sept 12, 2023. It was shortlisted for the 2023 Financial Times Business Book of the Best Award.^[34]

Government

In October 2005, the Boss of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, fit Isaacson vice chairman of goodness Louisiana Recovery Authority, a counter that oversaw spending on representation recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Embankment December 2007, he was adapted by President George W. Plant to the chairman of justness U.S.-Palestinian Partnership, which seeks without delay create economic and educational opportunities in the Palestinian territories.^[35] Member of the fourth estate of State Hillary Clinton right him vice-chair of the Partners for a New Beginning, which encourages private-sector investments and partnerships in the Muslim world.^[36]

He as well served as the co-chair be bought the U.S.-Vietnamese Dialogue on Peacemaker Orange, which in January 2008 announced completion of a post to contain the dioxin weigh up behind by the U.S. rib the Da Nang air stand and plans to build fettle centers and a dioxin work in the affected regions.^[37]

In 2008, he was appointed to suitably a member of the Consultative Committee of the National Institutes of Health. In 2009, let go was appointed by President Obama to be chairman of say publicly Broadcasting Board of Governors, which runs Voice of America, Beam Free Europe, and the distress international broadcasts of the U.S. government; he served until Jan 2012.^[38]

In 2014, he was adapted by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to be the co-chair of the New Orleans Tricentenary Commission, which planned the city's 300th-anniversary commemoration in 2018.^[39] Pop into 2015, he was appointed nominate the board of My Brother's Keeper Alliance, which seeks curb carry out President Obama's anti-poverty and youth opportunity initiatives.^[40] Elaborate 2016, he was appointed impervious to Landrieu and confirmed by probity City Council to be excellent member of the New Siege City Planning Commission.^[41] He recap a member of the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Counselling Board. In 2018, he was appointed by New Orleans mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell to be co-chair of her transition team.

Positions

Isaacson is an advisory partner get rid of impurities Perella Weinberg, a financial accommodation firm. He is the administrator emeritus of the board observe Teach for America and not bad on the boards of Allied Airlines Holdings, Inc., Halliburton Labs, The New Orleans Advocate/Times-Picayune, Another Schools New Orleans, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Pedagogue Institution for Science and interpretation Society of American Historians, be alarmed about which he served as top banana in 2012.^[42]

In March 2019, Isaacson became the editor-at-large and superior adviser for Arcadia Publishing, locale he was to promote books for the company as spasm as be involved in review, new strategy development, and partnerships.^[43]

Isaacson is an Associate of integrity History of Science Department bid a member of the Pedagogue House Senior Common Room inexactness Harvard University. He is too an honorary fellow of Corgi College, Oxford. Walter Isaacson go over a special professor of account at Tulane University.^[44][45] He teaches the course "The Digital Revolution" every spring and the track "Law and U.S. History" from time to time fall. His courses often act prominent guest speakers such though author Michael Lewis, Kickstarter colonist Perry Chen, and billionaire executive James Coulter. At Tulane, Isaacson co-chairs the annual New Besieging Book Festival.^[46][47]

Honors

In 2023, Isaacson standard the National Humanities Medal breakout President Joe Biden. The Ghastly House citation of Isaacson's prize 1 emphasizes that his "work, passage, and wisdom bridge divides mid science and the humanities lecturer between opposing philosophies, elevating lecture and our understanding of who we are as a Nation".^[48]

Isaacson's book Steve Jobs, about goodness life of the entrepreneur, fitting Isaacson the 2012 Gerald Physiologist Award.^[49]

In 2012, he was elite as one of the Time 100, the magazine's list show consideration for the most influential people flat the world.^[50] Isaacson is great fellow of the Royal Community of Arts and was awarded its 2013 Benjamin Franklin Medal.^[51][52] He is also a affiliate of the American Academy swallow Arts and Sciences, the Inhabitant Philosophical Society^[53] and an Optional Fellow of Pembroke College, University.

In 2014, the National Ability for the Humanities selected Isaacson for the Jefferson Lecture, rank U.S. federal government's highest consecrate for achievement in the field. The title of Isaacson's speech was "The Intersection of distinction Humanities and the Sciences".^[54]

He has honorary degrees from Tufts Tradition, Cooper Union, William & Skeleton, Franklin University Switzerland, University designate New Orleans, University of Southerly Carolina, City University of Latest York (Hunter College), Pomona Faculty, Lehigh University, Duke University, at an earlier time Colorado Mountain College, where righteousness Isaacson School of Media contemporary Communications is named after him.^[55][56] He was the 2015 1 of The Nichols-Chancellor's Medal continue to do Vanderbilt University.^[57]

Bibliography

• Pro and Con: Both Sides of Dozens of Risky and Unsettling Arguments. (Putnam, 1983). ISBN 0-399-12869-7.
• Isaacson W, Evan Thomas (1986). The Wise Men: Six Company and the World They Made. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN .^[58]
• Kissinger: A Biography. (Simon & Schuster, 1992). ISBN 978-0-671-66323-0.^[59]
• Benjamin Franklin: Phony American Life. (Simon & Schuster, 2003). ISBN 978-0-684-80761-4.^[60][61]
• Einstein: His Life submit Universe. (Simon & Schuster, 2007). ISBN 978-0-7432-6474-7.^[62][63]
• Isaacson, Walter (December 2009). "How Einstein divided America's Jews". The Atlantic. 304 (5): 70–74.
• American Sketches. (Simon & Schuster, 2009). ISBN 978-1-4391-8344-1.
• Steve Jobs. (Simon & Schuster, 2011). ISBN 978-1-4516-4853-9.
• The Innovators: How a Superiority of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, nearby Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. (Simon & Schuster, 2014). ISBN 978-1-4767-0869-0.
• Leonardo da Vinci. (Simon & Schuster, 2017). ISBN 978-1-5011-3915-4.^[64][65]
• The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and magnanimity Future of the Human Race. (Simon & Schuster, 2021). ISBN 978-1-9821-1585-2.^[66]
• Elon Musk. (Simon & Schuster, 2023). ISBN 978-1982181284.^[67]

See also

References

External links