This week's Family Dinner Table Talk, from HuffPost and The Family Dinner book:
This week, Steve Jobs announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Apple. Many of us got the news on a product he championed – iPhone, MacBook, iPad.
And, that's only a small indication of the profound impact Jobs has had on our culture. He is one of the greatest innovators and leaders of our time. In the early 90s, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy and expected to fail. But, under Job’s leadership, the company surpassed Google as the world’s most valuable brand last May.
The secret to Apple's success? Design. Because their products are so user-friendly, they succeed in every market. The iTunes store revolutionized how we buy music and it became the largest music retailer in the U.S. in 2008. And just a few years after the release of the hugely popular iPhone, Apple is now the world's most profitable maker of phones.
Perhaps one of the most important qualities that made Jobs such an outstanding CEO, was his ability to recognize what was best for his company – including when it was time for him to go. As he wrote in his resignation letter:
“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”
- Did you already know who Steve Jobs was?
- What do you aspire to be when you grow up?
- If you could invent anything, what would it be?
- What kind of company would you want to run and why?
- And, drumroll... How did kids play music before they had iPods?
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In her new cookbook, The Family Dinner, Laurie David talks about the importance of families making a ritual of sitting down to dinner together, and how family dinners offer a great opportunity for meaningful discussions about the day's news. "Dinner," she says, "is as much about digestible conversation as it is about delicious food."
We couldn't agree more. So HuffPost has joined with Laurie and every Friday afternoon, just in time for dinner, our editors highlight one of the most compelling news stories of the week -- stories that will spark a lively discussion among the whole family.
To see last week's Family Dinner Download, click here.
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For more tips and recipes, check out The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time by Laurie David and Kirstin Uhrenholdt (thefamilydinnerbook.com).